The Development of Community Based Treatment and Motivation Interview for Drug Addicts: The “Phayao Lom Rak” Model

Abstract

This research and development aimed to develop a community-based treatment and motivation interview for drug addiction in Chun District, Phayao Province. The sample consisted of six drug rehabilitation team members, 49 community network members, 35 drug addicts, and 35 family members of the patients. Research instruments included In-depth interview guidelines, focus group guidelines, the Self-Recovery Motivation Questionnaire (SOCRATES 8D), the Drug Use Behavior Questionnaire, the Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF-THAI), and the Community Participation Assessment Form. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-tests, while qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis.

The results revealed that the main problems were new drug users and relapses among youth, stemming from family problems, lack of employment and income, and a top-down, power-based approach to drug-related interventions. This conventional approach was characterized by government agencies issuing directives for communities to implement predetermined actions, which lacked genuine community participation and failed to respond to local needs. To address this gap, a new model was developed in which the community itself designed the intervention process. This collaborative effort resulted in a community-driven rehabilitation model called the "Phayao Lom Rak" Model, comprising four components: (1) screening, identification, and surveillance; (2) treatment; (3) follow-up by the "Five Partners" team (interdisciplinary rehabilitation team, public health personnel, village health volunteers, community leaders, and police); and (4) rehabilitation based on the principles of "forgiveness and opportunity." Evaluation results indicated that after implementing the model, patients exhibited significantly increased self-recovery motivation (P-value < .001), decreased drug use behavior (P-value < .001), improved quality of life (P-value < .05), and significantly enhanced community participation (P-value < .001).