Coping Strategies and Relapse of Substance Abusers: A Case Study of the Therapeutic Community Program in Indonesia

The present study examined the ability of people with substance‐dependence problems to cope with stressful events and refrain from resuming alcohol drinking and the use of drugs. This study specifically examined the length of time that substance abusing‐residents spent in a state‐owned, residential‐based therapeutic community program at Lembang‐Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. A study sample of 68 residents completed a questionnaire with four sections. The results of this study showed no significant differences in the scores rating the coping behavior of the residents according to the length of stay in the program. This study also found no significant differences in the Coping Behavioral Inventory scores of the residents according to the level scores of total Coping Strategy Inventory. It is important for social workers to understand the relationship between the length of stay of residents and their ability to cope so that they can effectively engage in intervention work with individuals with substance‐dependence issues who participate in the therapeutic community.