Cocaine abusers with and without alcohol dependence respond equally well to contingency management treatments

Examining the impact of low magnitude incentives in contingency management protocols: Non-engagement in Petry et al. 2004

INTRODUCTION/METHOD

Current federal regulations limit the use of incentives in contingency management (CM) interventions to a nominal total value (i.e., up to $75/patient/year in aggregate of federal funds). This limit represents a striking divergence from the magnitudes used in evidence-based CM protocols. In the present report, we re-analyze data from the Petry et al. (2004) study, which was designed to test the efficacy of two different magnitude CM protocols ($80 and $240 in 2004 dollars) relative to usual intensive outpatient services for treatment-seeking patients with cocaine use. Petry et al. (2004) found that the $240 condition [~$405 in 2024 dollars], but not the $80 condition [~$135 in 2024 dollars], improved abstinence outcomes relative to usual care. The lower-cost $80 condition is the closest condition to the current federal $75 limit that permits a head-to-head comparison of magnitudes. A re-analysis offers an opportunity to examine the impact of low magnitude protocols in more detail, specifically in terms of non-engagement with treatment (defined as absence of negative samples and thus not encountering incentives for abstinence).

RESULTS

We found moderate to large effects favoring the $240 condition over both usual care (ds ranging 0.33 to 0.97) and the $80 condition (ds ranging 0.39 to 0.83) across various thresholds of non-engagement with the incentives/reinforcers for abstinence. Importantly, the $80 condition evidenced higher (worse) rates of non-engagement compared to the usual care condition (i.e., small and negative effect sizes ranging -0.30 to 0.14), though not reaching statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that CM protocols designed to stay within the federal limitation of $75 should be discouraged, and evidence-based protocols should be recommended along with the regulatory reforms necessary to support their implementation.

Implementing an evidence-based prize contingency management protocol for stimulant use

INTRODUCTION

Contingency management (CM) is an efficacious treatment for stimulant use disorders. Support materials for the clinical delivery of prize-based CM are widely accessible, but few resources are available to support design and preparation for CM implementation. This guide aims to fill that gap.

METHOD/RESULTS

The article outlines a suggested prize CM protocol and discusses the best practices most aligned with the evidence base and acceptable-if-necessary modifications. This guide also highlights modifications that are not evidence-based and not recommended. In addition, I discuss practical and clinical aspects of preparing for CM implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

Deviations from evidence-based practices are common, and poorly designed CM is unlikely to impact patient outcomes. This article provides planning stage guidance to support programs' adoption of evidence-based prize CM for the treatment of stimulant use disorders.

Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD): Current Clinical Perspectives

Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a devastating disorder, impacting both individuals and society. Individuals with CUD face many barriers in accessing treatment for CUD, and most individuals with CUD never receive treatment. In this review, we provide an overview of CUD, including risk factors for CUD, common co-occurring disorders, acute and chronic effects of cocaine use, and currently available pharmacological and behavioral treatments. There are no FDA-approved pharmacological treatments for CUD. Future studies with larger sample sizes and testing treatment combinations are warranted. However, individuals with CUD and co-occurring disorders (eg, a mood or anxiety disorder) may benefit from medication treatments. There are behavioral interventions that have demonstrated efficacy in treating CUD – contingency management (CM) and cognitive-behavioral therapy for substance use disorders (CBT-SUD) in particular – however many barriers remain in delivering these treatments to patients. Following the discussion of current treatments, we highlight some promising emerging treatments, as well as offer a framework that can be used in building a treatment plan for individuals with CUD.

Considerations for Implementing Contingency Management in Substance Abuse Treatment Clinics: The Veterans Affairs Initiative as a Model

Contingency management (CM) is an efficacious intervention for the treatment of substance use disorders that is widely applicable across a range of client populations and characteristics. Despite its strong evidence base, CM remains underutilized in real world practice. This article introduces CM for clinicians interested in adopting CM and briefly reviews this research evidence. In addition, CM protocols are described, with emphasis on the specific design considerations important to CM's efficacy. The recent Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) initiative, which represents the first successful large-scale implementation effort, is presented. It provides a model for the training and supervision components that may be critical to implementation with fidelity. Continued research in this area, as well as further demonstrations of successful dissemination and implementation, will be critical for improving the adoption of this intervention in clinical, nonresearch settings.

"I's" on the prize: A systematic review of individual differences in Contingency Management treatment response

Contingency Management is an evidence-based treatment for substance use disorders with strong potential for measurement-based customization. Previous work has examined individual difference factors in Contingency Management treatment response of potential relevance to treatment targeting and adaptive implementation; however, a systematic review of such factors has not yet been conducted. Here, we summarize and evaluate the existing literature on patient-level predictors, mediators, and moderators of Contingency Management treatment response in stimulant and/or opioid using outpatients - clinical populations most frequently targeted in Contingency Management research and clinical practice. Our search strategy identified 648 unique, peer-reviewed publications, of which 39 met full inclusion criteria for the current review. These publications considered a variety of individual difference factors, including (1) motivation to change and substance use before and during treatment (8/39 publications), (2) substance use comorbidity and chronicity (8/39 publications), (3) psychiatric comorbidity and severity (8/39 publications), (4) medical, legal, and sociodemographic considerations (15/39 publications), and (5) cognitive-behavioral variables (1/39 publications). Contingency Management was generally associated with improved treatment outcomes (e.g., longer periods of continuous abstinence, better retention), regardless of individual difference factors; however, specific patient-level characteristics were associated with either an enhanced (e.g., more previous treatment attempts, history of sexual abuse, diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder) or diminished (e.g., complex post-traumatic stress symptoms, pretreatment benzodiazepine use) response to Contingency Management. Overall, the current literature is limited but existing evidence generally supports greater benefits of Contingency Management in patients who would otherwise have a poorer prognosis in standard outpatient care. It was also identified that the majority of previous work represents a posteriori analysis of pre-existing clinical samples and has therefore rarely considered pre-specified, hypothesis-driven individual difference factors. We therefore additionally highlight patient-level factors that are currently understudied, as well as promising future directions for measurement-based treatment adaptations that may directly respond to patient traits and states to improve Contingency Management effectiveness across individuals and over time.

Income Levels and Response to Contingency Management for Smoking Cessation

BACKGROUND

Contingency management (CM) has demonstrated its efficacy in treating many drug addictions, including nicotine. However, one of the most commonly perceived limitations with regard to its dissemination into community settings is whether this protocol could be equally effective for treating patients across different income levels.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine whether individuals' income levels affect treatment success in a cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) that included a voucher-based CM protocol for smoking cessation.

METHODS

A total of 92 treatment-seeking smokers in a community setting were randomly assigned to a CBT group (N = 49) or to a CBT plus CM group (N = 43). The CM procedure included a voucher program through which smoking abstinence was reinforced on a schedule of escalating magnitude of reinforcement with a reset contingency. We analyzed the impact of self-reported monthly income, alone and in combination with treatment condition, on short-term (treatment retention) and long-term (self-reported number of days of continuous smoking abstinence at 6-month follow-up) results.

RESULTS

Income had no effect on treatment retention and continuous abstinence outcomes at 6-month follow-up in either treatment condition. Treatment modality emerged as the only significant predictor of treatment success.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that treatment-seeking smokers from the general population respond equally well to CM regardless of their income levels. The results of this randomized controlled trial support the generalizability of this evidenced-based program into community settings.

The Efficacy of Contingency Management on Cocaine Craving, using Prize-based Reinforcement of Abstinence in Cocaine Users

Introduction

Contingency management (CM) is one of the most common therapies in the domain of drug addiction. This study has been carried out with the purpose of evaluating the efficacy of contingency management intervention.

Method

In an experimental design, between December 15, 2014 and November 20, 2015, fifty men (between 18 and 31 with an average age of 24.6) with a history of cocaine use, were selected voluntarily and were randomly assigned into two groups of CM and control group. The CM group were awarded coupons for negative urine tests, over a period of twelve weeks. The urine tests were taken from the participants twice per week, with cutoff concentrations for positive set at 300 ng/ml and self-reporting index of cocaine craving (response rate = 96%) were evaluated in two phase, through pretest and posttest measures. The data were analyzed by parametric covariance test. Additionally, the qualitative data, resulted from demographic measures, were coded and were analyzed with the help of an analysis instrument of qualitative data i.e. ATLAS.ti-5.2.

Results

The primary outcome was the number of negative urine tests and the secondary outcome included the cocaine usage craving index over twelve weeks. The mean of (95% of confidence) number of negative cocaine urine tests was 15.4 (13.1–17.8) in the CM group and 19.7 (17.7–21.6) in the control group (P = 0.049). Also, results showed that CM has a significant effect on reducing craving (p<0.01).

Conclusion

The findings of this study, while having practical aspects in this domain, can be valuable in planning remedial procedures.

Contingency Management: New Directions and Remaining Challenges for An Evidence-Based Intervention

This article introduces the special issue on contingency management (CM), an efficacious intervention for the treatment of substance use disorders with low uptake in clinical settings that is not commensurate with evidence for efficacy. In this special issue of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, we present 16 articles representing the latest research in efficacy, implementation, and technological advances related to CM. Combined, this collection of articles highlights the diverse populations, settings, and applications of CM in the treatment of substance use disorders. We conclude by highlighting directions for future research, particularly those that may increase CM's appeal and uptake in routine clinical care.

Substance Abuse Treatment Patients in Housing Programs Respond to Contingency Management Interventions

Use of homeless and transitional housing (e.g., recovery homes) programs can be associated with success in substance abuse treatment, perhaps because many of these programs encourage or mandate sobriety. In this study, we examined whether contingency management (CM) protocols that use tangible incentives for submission of drug-free specimens or other specific behaviors are effective for treatment-seeking substance abusers whose behavior may also be shaped by housing programs. Of 355 participants in randomized trials of CM, 56 (16%) reported using transitional housing during the 12-week treatment period. Main and interaction effects of housing status and treatment condition were evaluated for the primary substance abuse treatment outcomes: a) longest duration of abstinence from alcohol, cocaine, and opioids, b) percentage of samples submitted that were negative for these substances, and c) treatment retention. After controlling for demographic and clinical characteristics, those who accessed housing programs submitted a higher percentage of negative samples (75%) compared to those who did not access housing programs (67%). Housing status groups did not differ in terms of longest duration of abstinence (accessed housing: M=3.1 weeks, SE=0.6; did not access housing: M=3.9 weeks, SE=0.3) or retention in substance abuse treatment (accessed housing: M=6.4 weeks, SE=0.6; did not access housing: M=6.6 weeks, SE=0.3). Regardless of housing status, CM was associated with longer durations of abstinence and treatment retention. No interactive effects of housing and treatment condition were observed (p>.05). Results suggest that those who accessed housing programs during substance abuse treatment benefit from CM to a comparable degree as their peers who did not use such programs. These effects suggest that CM remains appropriate for those accessing housing in community-based programs.

Sex effects in cocaine-using methadone patients randomized to contingency management interventions

Contingency management (CM) is an effective treatment for promoting cocaine abstinence in patients receiving methadone maintenance. However, few studies have examined the effect of sex on treatment outcomes in this population. This study evaluated the impact of sex on longest duration of abstinence (LDA) and percent negative urine samples in 323 cocaine-using methadone patients from 4 randomized clinical trials comparing CM to standard methadone care. Overall, women had better treatment outcomes compared with men, demonstrated by an increase in both LDA and percentages of negative samples. Patients receiving CM also had significantly higher LDA and percentages of negative samples compared to patients receiving standard care, but sex by treatment condition effects were not significant. These data suggest that cocaine-using methadone patients who are women have better substance use outcomes than men in interventions that regularly monitor cocaine use, and CM is equally efficacious regardless of sex.

A randomized, controlled trial of combined cognitive-behavioral therapy plus prize-based contingency management for cocaine dependence

BACKGROUND

Cocaine has become one of the drugs of most concern in Switzerland, being associated with a wide range of medical, psychiatric and social problems. Available treatment options for cocaine dependence are rare. The study sought to compare combined prize-based contingency management (prizeCM) plus cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to CBT alone in cocaine-dependent patients.

METHODS

Sixty cocaine-dependent patients participated in a randomized, controlled trial with two treatment conditions. The participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (EG; n = 29), who received CBT combined with prizeCM, or to the control group (CG; n = 31), who received CBT only during 24 weeks. The primary outcome measures were retention, at least 3 consecutive weeks of cocaine abstinence, the maximum number of consecutive weeks of abstinence and proportions of cocaine-free urine samples during the entire 24-week and at 6-month follow-up.

RESULTS

Sixty-three percent of the participants completed the study protocol. Participants in both groups significantly reduced cocaine use over time. Overall, no difference in cocaine-free urine screens was found across the two treatment groups, except at weeks 8, 9, 10, 17 and 21 in favor of the EG.

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of prizeCM to CBT seems to enhance treatment effects, especially in the early treatment period, supporting results from previous studies. Both the combined intervention and CBT alone, led to significant reductions in cocaine use during treatment and these effects were sustained at 6-month follow-up. These findings underline the importance in implementing CM and CBT interventions as treatment options for cocaine dependence in the European context.

Health-related quality of life in alcohol dependence: a systematic literature review with a specific focus on the role of depression and other psychopathology

BACKGROUND

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is considered a valid measure of treatment effectiveness in addictions. However, alcohol research has lagged behind other biomedical fields in using HRQOL outcomes as primary or secondary endpoints. Previous work has suggested that psychiatric co-morbidity may mediate the relationship between alcohol dependence and HRQOL.

AIM

The goal was to summarize the literature on HRQOL and its domains in the context of alcohol dependence. A specific focus was on the impact of depression and other psychopathology on these areas of life.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A database search of MEDLINE and PsychINFO was performed within the scope of PARADISE (Psychosocial fActors Relevant to brAin DISorders in Europe); a European Commission funded coordination action. Using pre-defined eligibility criteria, 42 studies were identified. A systematic approach to data collection was employed.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Alcohol dependence was shown to affect overall HRQOL and its domains, including general health, physical and mental health, general and social functioning, activities of daily living, pain and sleep. The evidence demonstrating that alcohol dependence is a primary cause of impairments in overall HRQOL, general health, mental and physical health and social functioning was fairly strong. Treatment interventions helped improve HRQOL and its aforementioned domains. The reduction or cessation of alcohol use facilitated these improvements; however, it was not reported to be predictive of improvement in all instances where improvement was reported. Depression was associated with further decreases in HRQOL. Personality disorders contributed to the severity of social functioning impairment.

Income received during treatment does not affect response to contingency management treatments in cocaine-dependent outpatients

BACKGROUND

Prior studies find no effect of baseline income on response to contingency management (CM) interventions. However, income among substance disordered patients is variable, particularly at treatment entry. This study investigated the impact of during-treatment income, a more proximal estimate of economic resources at the time that CM is in effect, on response to standard treatment or the standard treatment plus CM.

METHOD

These secondary analyses included 418 cocaine dependent participants initiating community intensive outpatient treatment. We examined whether differences were present in pretreatment and during-treatment overall income, as well as specific income sources. We then conducted a series of regression models to investigate the impact of during-treatment income on treatment outcome.

RESULTS

Participants' during-treatment income was significantly lower compared to pretreatment income, and this difference was largely attributable to decreases in earned income, illegal income, and support from friends and family. Neither the main effect of income, nor the interaction of income and treatment condition, was significantly associated with treatment outcome. CM, however, was a significant predictor of improved treatment outcome relative to standard treatment. Income sources and some demographic characteristics were also significant predictors of outcomes; public assistance income was associated with improved outcomes and illegal income was associated with poorer outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that substance abusers benefit from CM regardless of their income level, and these data add to the growing literature supporting the generalizability of CM across a variety of patient characteristics.

Contingency management is effective across cocaine-dependent outpatients with different socioeconomic status

Contingency management (CM) has demonstrated its efficacy for treating cocaine dependence, but there is still some controversy with regard to its dissemination. Understanding how individual differences affect CM outcomes is important for detecting barriers to its dissemination. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of socioeconomic variables in cocaine-dependent outpatients on the effectiveness of CM in a community setting. Cocaine-dependent outpatients (N=118) were randomized to community reinforcement approach (CRA) treatment or a CRA plus vouchers program. The impact of baseline economic variables, alone and in combination with treatment conditions, on abstinence and retention outcomes after 6 months of treatment was assessed. Results showed that income had no effect on retention or abstinence outcomes after 6 months of treatment in either treatment condition. The addition of a CM component was beneficial for individuals with any socioeconomic status. These results support the generalizability of CM strategies with patients of different socioeconomic status in community settings.

Contingency management for patients with cooccurring disorders: evaluation of a case study and recommendations for practitioners

Research indicates that contingency management (CM) has potential to improve a number of outcomes (e.g. substance use, treatment attendance, quality of life) among individuals with substance use and cooccurring disorders. However, multiple factors must be considered on a case-by-case basis in order to promote optimal treatment effects. The present study describes an individualized CM protocol for a US Veteran with substance dependence and cooccurring severe mental illness. CM targeted attendance at outpatient appointments and appropriate use of hospital resources. Effects of CM were assessed by comparing the 3-month baseline and CM periods. The CM intervention marginally reduced unnecessary hospital admissions, resulting in cost savings to the medical center of over $5,000 in three months for this individual. However, CM did not affect outpatient attendance. Several complications arose, highlighting challenges in using CM in populations with substance use and cooccurring disorders. Practical suggestions are offered for maximizing the effects of CM.

Identifying provider beliefs related to contingency management adoption using the contingency management beliefs questionnaire

BACKGROUND

Contingency management (CM) is a widely recognized empirically-supported addiction treatment; however, dissemination and adoption of CM into routine clinical practice has been slow. Assessment of beliefs about CM may highlight key barriers and facilitators of adoption and inform dissemination efforts. In the present study, we developed a 35-item questionnaire (contingency management beliefs questionnaire; CMBQ) assessing CM beliefs and examined the relation of these beliefs to clinician characteristics and clinical practices.

METHODS

The web-based study was completed by 617 substance abuse treatment providers. We examined the factor structure using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) in a randomly selected half-sample (n=318) and evaluated the generalizability of the solution using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in the second half-sample (n=299).

RESULTS

EFA results suggested a 3-factor solution with 32 items retained; factors represented general barriers, training-related barriers, and pro-CM items. CFA results supported the solution, and reliability was good within each half-sample (α=0.88 and 0.90). Therapeutic approach, years experience in addictions field, perception of CM's research support, prior CM training, and CM adoption interest were significantly associated with the factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, participants viewed CM favorably yet endorsed barriers, indicating a need for more extensive and targeted response to the most common misperceptions in dissemination efforts.

The impact of contingency management on quality of life among cocaine abusers with and without alcohol dependence

The use of quality of life (QOL) measures in substance abuse treatment research is important because it may lead to a broader understanding of patients' health status and effects of interventions. Despite the high rates of comorbid cocaine and alcohol use disorders, little is known about the QOL of this population, and even less about the impact of an efficacious behavioral treatment, contingency management (CM), on QOL. In this study, data from three clinical trials were retrospectively analyzed to examine QOL in outpatient cocaine abusers with and without alcohol dependence (AD) and the impact of CM on QOL over time as a function of AD status. Patients were randomized to standard care (n = 115) or standard care plus CM (n = 278) for 12 weeks. QOL was assessed at baseline and Months 1, 3, 6, and 9. At treatment initiation, AD patients had lower QOL total scores and they scored lower on several subscale scores than those without AD. CM treatment was associated with improvement in QOL regardless of AD status. These data suggest that CM produces benefits that go beyond substance abuse outcomes, and they support the use of QOL indexes to capture information related to treatment outcomes. 

Concurrent alcohol dependence among methadone-maintained cocaine abusers is associated with greater abstinence

Concurrent alcohol dependence (AD) among polysubstance abusers has been associated with negative consequences, although it may not necessarily lead to poor treatment outcomes. One of the most efficacious treatments for cocaine abuse is contingency management (CM), but little research has explored the impact of AD on abstinence outcomes, particularly among patients in methadone maintenance. Using data from three trials of CM for cocaine use, we compared baseline characteristics and posttreatment and follow-up cocaine outcomes between methadone-maintained, cocaine-dependent patients (N = 193) with and without concurrent AD, randomized to standard care (SC) with or without CM. Patients with and without concurrent AD had similar baseline characteristics, with the exception that AD patients reported more alcohol use. AD patients achieved longer durations of cocaine abstinence and were more likely to submit a cocaine-negative sample at follow-up than non-AD patients. Patients randomized to CM achieved better outcomes than those randomized to SC, but there was no interaction between treatment condition and AD status. These findings suggest that cocaine-using methadone patients with AD achieve greater cocaine abstinence than their non-AD counterparts and should not necessarily be viewed as more difficult to treat.

Alcohol use and gender effects on HIV risk behaviors in cocaine-using methadone patients

Injection drug users engage in behaviors that increase the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other infectious diseases. Although methadone maintenance (MM) is highly effective in decreasing heroin use and the spread of HIV, polydrug use, especially the combined use of cocaine and alcohol, is common in MM patients. Alcohol use is independently associated with HIV risk behaviors, and the effects of alcohol use on risk behaviors may vary by gender. This study evaluated the effects of recent heavy alcohol use and gender with respect to HIV risk behaviors in 118 cocaine-abusing methadone patients. Both lifetime and past month injection and sexual risk behaviors were examined. Recent heavy drinkers (n = 46) were more likely to be male than nonheavy drinkers (n = 72). Recent heavy drinkers reported more risky sexual behaviors over their lifetimes than nonheavy drinkers. Gender effects were also present for lifetime risk behaviors, with females demonstrating more sexual and injection risk behaviors than men. In terms of recent injection risk behaviors, there was a significant alcohol use by gender effect. Heavy drinking females reported significantly more drug-sharing behaviors and less frequent needle cleaning than nonheavy drinking females. Recent sexual behaviors did not differ based on alcohol use status or gender. These findings may inform HIV prevention strategies in cocaine-abusing MM patients, and they suggest that cocaine-abusing women who drink heavily are a particularly high risk group who should be counseled about risky injection drug use practices.