Lessons learned from a randomized trial of fixed and escalating contingency management schedules in opioid-dependent pregnant women

Contingency management interventions for abstinence from cigarette smoking in pregnancy and postpartum: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Contingency management is one of the most effective treatments for substance use disorders in not-pregnant people. The most recent quantitative review of its efficacy among pregnant and postpartum women who smoke cigarettes concluded with moderate certainty that those receiving contingent financial incentives were twice as likely to be abstinent compared with controls. We aimed to update and extend previous reviews. Five databases were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before December 2022 that assessed the effectiveness of incentives for abstinence from substance use. Data from trials of smoking abstinence were pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis model (restricted maximum likelihood). Results are reported as risk-ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42022372291. Twelve RCTs (3136) pregnant women) were included. There was high certainty evidence that women receiving incentives were more likely to be abstinent than controls at the last antepartum assessment (12 RCTs; RR = 2.43, 95% CI 2.04-2.91, n = 2941, I2 = 0.0%) and moderate certainty evidence at the longest postpartum assessment while incentives were still available (five RCTs; RR = 2.72, 1.47-5.02, n = 659, I2 = 44.5%), and at the longest postpartum follow-up after incentives were discontinued (six RCTs; RR = 1.93, 1.08-3.46, n = 1753, I2 = 51.8%). Pregnant women receiving incentives are twice as likely to achieve smoking abstinence during pregnancy suggesting this intervention should be standard care for pregnant women who smoke. The results also demonstrate that abstinence continues into the postpartum period, including after incentives are discontinued, but more trials measuring outcomes in the postpartum period are needed to strengthen this conclusion.

A qualitative exploration of the eight dimensions of wellness in opioid use disorder recovery during the postpartum period

Background

Recovery from opioid use disorder (OUD) during the perinatal period has unique challenges. We examined services for perinatal women with OUD using the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) eight dimensions of wellness (DoW), which reflect whole person recovery.

Methods

We enrolled professionals from the Southwestern United States who work with people with OUD during the perinatal period. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted from April to December 2020. Participants were shown the DoW diagram (emotional, social, environmental, physical, financial, spiritual, occupational, intellectual) and asked to share how their clinic/agency addresses each DoW for perinatal people with OUD. Responses were transcribed and coded by two researchers using Dedoose software.

Results

Thematic analysis revealed ways professionals (n = 11) see how the services they provide fit into the DoW. This included: the need to provide mothers emotional support with a nonjudgmental approach, groups providing social support; guidance on nutrition, self-care, and a focus on the mother/infant dyad; assistance with employment and activities of daily living; parenting education; connecting mothers with resources and grants; providing a variety of spiritual approaches depending on the desire of the mother; and navigating the interpersonal environment as well as the physical space.

Conclusions

There are opportunities to expand the treatment and services provided to women with OUD during the perinatal period within all eight DoWs. Additional research is needed to identify effective strategies to incorporate these components into patient-centered, holistic care approaches.

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

INTRODUCTION

Contingency management (CM) is an efficacious treatment for stimulant use disorders. Research has developed support materials for the clinical delivery of prize-based CM and they 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 evidence-based practices and acceptable-if-necessary modifications. The article 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.

A preliminary investigation of schedule parameters on cocaine abstinence in contingency management

Contingency management (CM) interventions are the most effective psychosocial interventions for substance use disorders. However, further investigation is needed to create the most robust intervention possible. This study investigated the effects of 1) reinforcer magnitude; and 2) fixed and escalating and resetting incentives on cocaine abstinence in an outpatient trial. In this analysis, 34 treatment-seeking individuals with Cocaine Use Disorder received either high or low value incentives for providing a benzoylecgonine-negative urine sample or were in a control condition and received incentives for providing a urine sample regardless of the results. Participants received either escalating and resetting incentives, wherein the value of each incentive increased with consecutive negative samples and reset to the initial level upon a positive sample (Experiment 1), or fixed incentives, wherein they received the same value incentive for each negative urine sample they provided (Experiment 2). Large incentives produced more abstinence, although escalating and resetting reinforcer values did not have a differential effect. Large, fixed incentives promoted abstinence faster than other reinforcers, whereas smaller incentives resulted in poor abstinence and took many visits to achieve initial abstinence. Future research comparing different schedules on cocaine abstinence in a randomized control trial with a larger sample size is required.

Differential Gateways, Facilitators, and Barriers to Substance Use Disorder Treatment for Pregnant Women and Mothers: A Scoping Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES

Access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment is complex, and more so for pregnant women and mothers who experience unique barriers. This scoping systematic review aimed to summarize contemporary findings on gateways, facilitators, and barriers to treatment for pregnant women and mothers with SUD.

METHODS

We used the scoping review methodology and a systematic search strategy via MEDLINE/PubMed and Google Scholar. The search was augmented by the similar article lists for sources identified in PubMed. Scholarly and peer-reviewed articles that were published in English from 1996 to 2019 were included. A thematic analysis of the selected studies was used to summarize pathways to SUD treatment and to identify research gaps.

RESULTS

The analysis included 41 articles. Multiple gateway institutions were identified: health care settings, social service agencies, criminal justice settings, community organizations, and employers. Some of the identified facilitators and barriers to SUD treatment were unique to pregnant women and mothers (eg, fear of incarceration for child abuse). Both personal (emotional support and social support) and child-related factors (loss of children, suspension or termination of parental rights, the anticipation of reuniting with children) motivated women to seek treatment. Major access barriers included fear, stigma, charges of child abuse, inconvenience, and financial hardship.

CONCLUSIONS

There has been progress in implementing different types of interventions and treatments for that were attentive to pregnant women and mothers' needs. We developed a conceptual model that characterized women's pathways to treatment by deciphering women's potential engagement in gateway settings.

Contingency Management for Patients Receiving Medication for Opioid Use Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Importance

Medication treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is efficacious, but comorbid stimulant use and other behavioral health problems often undermine efficacy.

Objective

To examine the association of contingency management, a behavioral intervention wherein patients receive material incentives contingent on objectively verified behavior change, with end-of-treatment outcomes for these comorbid behavioral problems.

Data Sources

A systematic search of PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Science, and reference sections of articles from inception through May 5, 2020. The following search terms were used: vouchers OR contingency management OR financial incentives.

Study Selection

Prospective experimental studies of monetary-based contingency management among participants receiving MOUD.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline, 3 independent investigators extracted data from included studies for a random-effects meta-analysis.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Primary outcome was the association of contingency management at end-of-treatment assessments with 6 clinical problems: stimulant use, polysubstance use, illicit opioid use, cigarette smoking, therapy attendance, and medication adherence. Random-effects meta-analysis models were used to compute weighted mean effect size estimates (Cohen d) and corresponding 95% CIs separately for each clinical problem and collapsing across the 3 categories assessing abstinence and the 2 assessing treatment adherence outcomes.

Results

The search identified 1443 reports of which 74 reports involving 10 444 unique adult participants met inclusion criteria for narrative review and 60 for inclusion in meta-analyses. Contingency management was associated with end-of-treatment outcomes for all 6 problems examined separately, with mean effect sizes for 4 of 6 in the medium-large range (stimulants, Cohen d = 0.70 [95% CI, 0.49-0.92]; cigarette use, Cohen d = 0.78 [95% CI, 0.43-1.14]; illicit opioid use, Cohen d = 0.58 [95% CI, 0.30-0.86]; medication adherence, Cohen d = 0.75 [95% CI, 0.30-1.21]), and 2 in the small-medium range (polysubstance use, Cohen d = 0.46 [95% CI, 0.30-0.62]; therapy attendance, d = 0.43 [95% CI, 0.22-0.65]). Collapsing across abstinence and adherence categories, contingency management was associated with medium effect sizes for abstinence (Cohen d = 0.58; 95% CI, 0.47-0.69) and treatment adherence (Cohen d = 0.62; 95% CI, 0.40-0.84) compared with controls.

Conclusions and Relevance

These results provide evidence supporting the use of contingency management in addressing key clinical problems among patients receiving MOUD, including the ongoing epidemic of comorbid psychomotor stimulant misuse. Policies facilitating integration of contingency management into community MOUD services are sorely needed.

Neonatal Outcomes after Combined Opioid and Nicotine Exposure in Utero: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

The majority of women who are pregnant with opioid use disorder (OUD) also smoke tobacco but are rarely offered tobacco cessation counseling. While the effects of exposure to opioids and nicotine in utero are well-understood separately, understanding the impact of the combined exposure to these substances on neonatal outcomes is lacking.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted using PubMed and Scopus databases for studies addressing the combined exposure to opioids and nicotine during pregnancy published between 1 January 1980 and 9 July 2019. A total of 29 papers met the eligibility criteria for inclusion, with nine being identified as clinical trials (three from the MOTHER study) and two as secondary data analysis of clinical trial data.

RESULTS

Neonatal outcomes for infants who had a combined exposure to opioids and nicotine in utero indicated a reduction in birth weight and birth length. Findings in infants exposed to both nicotine and opioids were mixed with regard to the duration of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), the likelihood of treatment for NAS, doses of medicine used to treat NAS, and NAS scores when compared with infants who had opioid exposure without nicotine.

CONCLUSIONS

The combined exposure to nicotine and opioids during pregnancy may lead to a reduction in neonatal birth weight and birth length and more severe NAS signs, compared with opioid use alone, but more research is necessary to identify the minimum dosage and length of nicotine exposure to accurately predict these outcomes.

Women-centered drug treatment models for pregnant women with opioid use disorder: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

While there is a high unmet need for drug treatment services tailored to the needs of pregnant women, fewer than half of the opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment programs in the U.S. offer such services. We conducted a scoping review of the literature to identify women-centered drug treatment models that address access, coordination, and quality of care, and their facilitators and barriers.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, EMBASE, PsycInfo, Sociology Database, Web of Science, CINAHL, EBSCO Open Dissertations, Health Services Research Projects in Progress, and relevant agency websites from 1990 to 2020. We included studies that evaluated multicomponent models of care that provided medication for OUD (MOUD) to pregnant women in the U.S.

RESULTS

Of the 1,578 unduplicated articles screened, 26 articles met the inclusion criteria, which reported on 19 different studies and included 3,193 women. We identified seven different models of care and found that: (1) access was improved by co-locating various services for drug treatment and care, (2) coordination was enhanced by inter-professional collaboration, (3) quality was improved by treating pregnant patients in groups, and (4) stigmatization and criminalization of substance use during pregnancy was a significant barrier to care.

CONCLUSIONS

There is an urgent need to bolster patient-provider relationships that are built on trust, are free of stigma, and that empower patients to make their own decisions. Improved policies and regulations to reduce stigma around the use of opioids and MOUD are needed, so that pregnant women with OUD can access high quality care.

Systematic review on use of health incentives in U.S. to change maternal health behavior

Use of financial incentives contingent on health outcomes has shown effective in health behavior change. Evidence-based information on the effect of incentive use for maternal health behavior change can inform whether and how to proceed with future research as well as incorporate incentive-based interventions in the existing healthcare system. This systematic literature review was conducted among prospective studies on incentive use for maternal health behavior change in a U.S. cohort according to the PRISMA methodology. Databases subject to the search included PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and EBSCOhost. Studies published in peer-reviewed journals on or before January 7, 2019, written in English, conducted in U.S., using incentives contingent on maternal health behavior change, and prospectively designed were included. Two authors independently searched titles and abstracts. An abstraction table was constructed, and the risk of bias was assessed using the GRADE approach. The review showed that incentives such as vouchers and other financial incentives were effective in improving outcomes especially related to substance use, tobacco use, and breastfeeding. Mixed evidence was found in improving treatment adherence outcomes; however the studies with randomized trials on the outcome of treatment adherence also showed low certainty. Continued improvements need to be made in implementing an incentive-based approach in the context of comprehensive treatment and routine healthcare, exploring electronic- or mobile-based implementation of the approach, and implementing the approach for a wider variety of outcomes during both prenatal and postpartum periods.

Evaluating comparative effectiveness of psychosocial interventions adjunctive to opioid agonist therapy for opioid use disorder: A systematic review with network meta-analyses

BACKGROUND

Guidelines recommend that individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) receive pharmacological and psychosocial interventions; however, the most appropriate psychosocial intervention is not known. In collaboration with people with lived experience, clinicians, and policy makers, we sought to assess the relative benefits of psychosocial interventions as an adjunct to opioid agonist therapy (OAT) among persons with OUD.

METHODS

A review protocol was registered a priori (CRD42018090761), and a comprehensive search for randomized controlled trials (RCT) was conducted from database inception to June 2020 in MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Established methods for study selection and data extraction were used. Primary outcomes were treatment retention and opioid use (measured by urinalysis for opioid use and opioid abstinence outcomes). Odds ratios were estimated using network meta-analyses (NMA) as appropriate based on available evidence, and in remaining cases alternative approaches to synthesis were used.

RESULTS

Seventy-two RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Risk of bias evaluations commonly identified study limitations and poor reporting with regard to methods used for allocation concealment and selective outcome reporting. Due to inconsistency in reporting of outcome measures, only 48 RCTs (20 unique interventions, 5,404 participants) were included for NMA of treatment retention, where statistically significant differences were found when psychosocial interventions were used as an adjunct to OAT as compared to OAT-only. The addition of rewards-based interventions such as contingency management (alone or with community reinforcement approach) to OAT was superior to OAT-only. Few statistically significant differences between psychosocial interventions were identified among any other pairwise comparisons. Heterogeneity in reporting formats precluded an NMA for opioid use. A structured synthesis was undertaken for the remaining outcomes which included opioid use (n = 18 studies) and opioid abstinence (n = 35 studies), where the majority of studies found no significant difference between OAT plus psychosocial interventions as compared to OAT-only.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review offers a comprehensive synthesis of the available evidence and the limitations of current trials of psychosocial interventions applied as an adjunct to OAT for OUD. Clinicians and health services may wish to consider integrating contingency management in addition to OAT for OUD in their settings to improve treatment retention. Aside from treatment retention, few differences were consistently found between psychosocial interventions adjunctive to OAT and OAT-only. There is a need for high-quality RCTs to establish more definitive conclusions.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration CRD42018090761.

Maintenance agonist treatments for opiate-dependent pregnant women

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of opiate use among pregnant women can range from 1% to 2% to as high as 21%. Just in the United States alone, among pregnant women with hospital delivery, a fourfold increase in opioid use is reported from 1999 to 2014 (Haight 2018). Heroin crosses the placenta, and pregnant, opiate-dependent women experience a six-fold increase in maternal obstetric complications such as low birth weight, toxaemia, third trimester bleeding, malpresentation, puerperal morbidity, fetal distress and meconium aspiration. Neonatal complications include narcotic withdrawal, postnatal growth deficiency, microcephaly, neuro-behavioural problems, increased neonatal mortality and a 74-fold increase in sudden infant death syndrome. This is an updated version of the original Cochrane Review first published in 2008 and last updated in 2013.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness of any maintenance treatment alone or in combination with a psychosocial intervention compared to no intervention, other pharmacological intervention or psychosocial interventions alone for child health status, neonatal mortality, retaining pregnant women in treatment, and reducing the use of substances.

SEARCH METHODS

We updated our searches of the following databases to February 2020: the Cochrane Drugs and Alcohol Group Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science. We also searched two trials registers and checked the reference lists of included studies for further references to relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials which assessed the efficacy of any pharmacological maintenance treatment for opiate-dependent pregnant women.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used the standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane.

MAIN RESULTS

We found four trials with 271 pregnant women. Three compared methadone with buprenorphine and one methadone with oral slow-release morphine. Three out of four studies had adequate allocation concealment and were double-blind. The major flaw in the included studies was attrition bias: three out of four had a high dropout rate (30% to 40%), and this was unbalanced between groups. Methadone versus buprenorphine: There was probably no evidence of a difference in the dropout rate from treatment (risk ratio (RR) 0.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.37 to 1.20, three studies, 223 participants, moderate-quality evidence). There may be no evidence of a difference in the use of primary substances between methadone and buprenorphine (RR 1.81, 95% CI 0.70 to 4.68, two studies, 151 participants, low-quality evidence). Birth weight may be higher in the buprenorphine group in the two trials that reported data MD;-530.00 g, 95%CI -662.78 to -397.22 (one study, 19 particpants) and MD: -215.00 g, 95%CI -238.93 to -191.07 (one study, 131 participants) although the results could not be pooled due to very high heterogeneity (very low-quality of evidence). The third study reported that there was no evidence of a difference. We found there may be no evidence of a difference in the APGAR score (MD: 0.00, 95% CI -0.03 to 0.03, two studies,163 participants, low-quality evidence). Many measures were used in the studies to assess neonatal abstinence syndrome. The number of newborns treated for neonatal abstinence syndrome, which is the most critical outcome, may not differ between groups (RR 1.19, 95% CI 0.87 to1.63, three studies, 166 participants, low-quality evidence). Only one study which compared methadone with buprenorphine reported side effects. We found there may be no evidence of a difference in the number of mothers with serious adverse events (AEs) (RR 1.69, 95% CI 0.75 to 3.83, 175 participants, low-quality evidence) and we found there may be no difference in the numbers of newborns with serious AEs (RR 4.77, 95% CI 0.59, 38.49,131 participants, low-quality evidence). Methadone versus slow-release morphine: There were no dropouts in either treatment group. Oral slow-release morphine may be superior to methadone for abstinence from heroin use during pregnancy (RR 2.40, 95% CI 1.00 to 5.77, one study, 48 participants, low-quality evidence). In the comparison between methadone and slow-release morphine, no side effects were reported for the mother. In contrast, one child in the methadone group had central apnoea, and one child in the morphine group had obstructive apnoea (low-quality evidence).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Methadone and buprenorphine may be similar in efficacy and safety for the treatment of opioid-dependent pregnant women and their babies. There is not enough evidence to make conclusions for the comparison between methadone and slow-release morphine. Overall, the body of evidence is too small to make firm conclusions about the equivalence of the treatments compared. There is still a need for randomised controlled trials of adequate sample size comparing different maintenance treatments.

Identifying Effective Behavior Change Techniques for Alcohol and Illicit Substance Use During Pregnancy: A Systematic Review

Background

During pregnancy, consuming alcohol and using illicit drugs can have serious health implications for both mother and child. Behavioral change interventions, especially those underpinned by theoretical constructs, can be effective in reducing harmful substance use among pregnant women.

Purpose

To understand what type of behavior change mechanisms could be useful in reducing alcohol consumption or achieving abstinence from illicit drug use during pregnancy, this review aimed to identify behavior change techniques (BCTs), the smallest, active components of interventions that may be effective. It also aimed to establish the extent that psychosocial-based theories were used to inform intervention design.

Methods

To identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs), five databases were searched electronically from the end search dates of the most recent Cochrane systematic reviews on behavioral interventions for each behavior, until March 2018. Within the RCTs, intervention descriptions were analyzed for BCT content and extent of theory use in the intervention design process and outcome measurements, in each trial, was established. “Effectiveness percentages,” the number of times a BCT had been a component of an effective intervention divided by the total number of interventions it had been used in, were calculated for BCTs used in two or more trials.

Results

Including all RCTs from the Cochrane reviews, and those published subsequently, nine alcohol and six illicit drug trials were identified. Interventions tested in four alcohol RCTs and no illicit drugs RCTs showed positive results. Subsequent data were extracted for alcohol consumption trials only. Thirteen BCTs showed “potential effectiveness” for alcohol consumption. Six of nine included alcohol trials reported using theory but not extensively.

Conclusions

Action planning, behavioral contract, prompts/cues, self-talk, offer/direct toward written material, problem solving, feedback on behavior, social support (unspecified), information about health consequences, behavior substitution, assess current readiness and ability to reduce excess alcohol consumption, goal setting (behavior), and tailor interactions appropriately are BCTs that could be useful in helping reduce alcohol consumption among pregnant women.

Prevalence of substance use disorder and psychiatric comorbidity burden among pregnant women with opioid use disorder in a large administrative database, 2009-2014

Objectives: Using data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), we estimated prevalence of individual substance use disorders (SUDs) and psychiatric comorbidities among pregnant women with opioid use disorder (OUD) in the New York State from 2009 to 2014.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, pregnancy outcome and gestational age at delivery were estimated, and OUD diagnosis during pregnancy or at delivery discharge was identified. Prevalence of SUDs and psychiatric comorbidities were then calculated.Results: Among 1,463,302 pregnant women, 8324 (0.57%) were diagnosed with OUD during pregnancy or at delivery. The most frequent SUDs or psychiatric comorbidities among pregnant women with OUD were non-opioid SUD (78.2%), followed by tobacco use disorder (74.9%), generalized anxiety disorder (38.0%), major depressive disorder (36.9%), cannabis use disorder (28.3%) and cocaine use disorder (27.4%).Conclusions: Most pregnant women with OUD were diagnosed with at least one non-opioid SUD and tobacco use disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder were also common, suggesting that mental health screenings should be prioritized for pregnant women with OUD.

Opioid Use in Pregnancy

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Perinatal opioid use is a major public health problem and is associated with a number of deleterious maternal and fetal effects. We review recent evidence of perinatal outcomes and treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) during pregnancy.

RECENT FINDINGS

Opioid exposure in pregnancy is associated with multiple obstetric and neonatal adverse outcomes, with the most common being neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). Treatment with buprenorphine or methadone is associated with NOWS, but neither medication appears to have significant adverse effects on early childhood development. Buprenorphine appears to be superior to methadone in terms of incidence and severity of NOWS in exposed infants. The long-term effects of opioid exposure in utero have been inconclusive, but recent longitudinal studies point to potential differences in brain morphology that may increase vulnerability to future stressors. Maintenance therapy with methadone or buprenorphine remains the standard of care for pregnant women with OUD given its consistent superiority to placebo in terms of rates of illicit drug use and pregnancy outcomes. New non-pharmacologic management options for NOWS appear promising. Future research is needed to further evaluate the effects of opioid exposure in utero and determine the optimal delivery model for maintenance therapy.

Optimizing Pregnancy Treatment Interventions for Moms (OPTI-Mom): A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVES

The public health burden of opioid use disorder (OUD) among pregnant women has significantly increased in recent years. The Optimizing Pregnancy Treatment Interventions for Moms study was a pilot project that examined the feasibility of a patient navigation (PN) intervention model to reduce substance use and improve mental health, quality of life, and to increase engagement with treatment services among pregnant women with OUD.

METHODS

A 1-group repeated-measures pilot study was conducted with treatment-seeking pregnant women with opioid dependence initiating buprenorphine maintenance treatment. Participants received the PN intervention delivered as 10 sessions before delivery and 4 sessions postpartum. Participants completed assessments at baseline and after the prenatal and postnatal portions of the intervention. Demographics were assessed using descriptive statistics, and general estimating equation analyses were employed to examine changes in health and service engagement across time.

RESULTS

in all, 21 women were enrolled and completed the PN intervention and follow-up assessments. Participants reported improvements in abstinence from illicit opioids (B = 0.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.1-0.2), drug use (odds ratio [OR] 5.25, 95% CI 2.1-13.0), and depression (OR 7.70, 95% CI 2.4-25.1). Results also showed nonsignificant trends suggesting enhancements in general health (B = 0.17, 95% CI 0.0-0.3, P = 0.06) and increases in substance use treatment attendance (B = 2.15, 95% CI -0.2 to 4.5, P = 0.07). Most study participants achieved adequate or better prenatal care.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide support that PN is a feasible adjunctive intervention that shows promise for health improvements and service engagement among treatment-seeking pregnant women with opioid dependence initiating buprenorphine.

Contingency management interventions for tobacco and other substance use disorders in pregnancy

Contingency management (CM) is an effective intervention for reducing use of licit and illicit substances in a variety of populations. Pregnant women are a vulnerable population with much to gain from effective interventions for substance use disorders, and for whom CM interventions may be especially well-suited. We reviewed the literature on CM interventions among pregnant women with tobacco and other substance use disorders with 3 aims: (a) describe the effectiveness of CM for reducing use of tobacco and other substances during pregnancy, (b) describe the effects of CM interventions on infant outcomes, and (c) identify needs for future research on CM in pregnancy. Our search strategy revealed 27 primary studies of CM in pregnancy. CM was effective in the majority of studies targeting nicotine abstinence, and results were mixed in studies targeting illicit substances. A variety of methodologies were used within the relatively small number of studies making it difficult to identify underlying mechanisms. Also, very few studies reported maternal and infant outcomes, and significant effects of CM were only apparent when secondary analyses pooled data from multiple studies. Furthermore, there is extremely limited data on the cost effectiveness of CM interventions in pregnancy. Future research should address these 3 areas to better determine the ultimate value of CM as an efficacious treatment for pregnant women with substance use disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record

Psychiatric Co-Morbidities in Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorders: Prevalence, Impact, and Implications for Treatment

Purpose of Review

This review seeks to investigate three questions: What is the prevalence of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses among pregnant women with opioid use disorder (OUD)? How do comorbid psychiatric illnesses impact pregnant women with OUD? And how do comorbid psychiatric illnesses affect the ability of pregnant women with OUD to adhere to and complete OUD treatment?

Recent Findings

Based on this literature review, 25–33% of pregnant women with OUD have a psychiatric comorbidity, with depression and anxiety being especially common. However, of the 17 studies reviewed only 5 have prevalence rates of dual diagnosis in pregnant women with OUD as their primary outcome measures, their N’s were typically small, methods for determining psychiatric diagnosis were variable, and many of the studies were undertaken with women presenting for treatment which carries with its implicit selection bias. Of the women enrolled in treatment programs for SUD, those with psychiatric comorbidity were more likely to have impaired psychological and family/social functioning than those without psychiatric comorbidity. Greater severity of comorbid psychiatric illness appears to predict poorer adherence to treatment, but more research is needed to clarify this relationship with the psychiatric illness is less severe.

Summary

While cooccurrence of psychiatric disorders in pregnant women with opioid use disorder appears to be common, large population-based studies with validated diagnostic tools and longitudinal assessments are needed to obtain definitive rates and characteristics of cooccurring illnesses. Integrated prenatal, addiction, and psychiatric treatment in a setting that provides social support to pregnant patients with OUD is most effective in maintaining women in treatment. More research is still needed to identify optimal treatment settings, therapy modalities, and medication management for dually diagnosed pregnant women with OUD.

A review of the literature on contingency management in the treatment of substance use disorders, 2009-2014

This report describes a systematic literature review of voucher and related monetary-based contingency management (CM) interventions for substance use disorders (SUDs) over 5.2years (November 2009 through December 2014). Reports were identified using the search engine PubMed, expert consultations, and published bibliographies. For inclusion, reports had to (a) involve monetary-based CM; (b) appear in a peer-reviewed journal; (c) include an experimental comparison condition; (d) describe an original study; (e) assess efficacy using inferential statistics; (f) use a research design allowing treatment effects to be attributed to CM. Sixty-nine reports met inclusion criteria and were categorized into 7 research trends: (1) extending CM to special populations, (2) parametric studies, (3) extending CM to community clinics, (4) combining CM with pharmacotherapies, (5) incorporating technology into CM, (6) investigating longer-term outcomes, (7) using CM as a research tool. The vast majority (59/69, 86%) of studies reported significant (p<0.05) during-treatment effects. Twenty-eight (28/59, 47%) of those studies included at least one follow-up visit after CM was discontinued, with eight (8/28, 29%) reporting significant (p<0.05) effects. Average effect size (Cohen's d) during treatment was 0.62 (95% CI: 0.54, 0.70) and post-treatment it was 0.26 (95% CI: 0.11, 0.41). Overall, the literature on voucher-based CM over the past 5years documents sustained growth, high treatment efficacy, moderate to large effect sizes during treatment that weaken but remain evident following treatment termination, and breadth across a diverse set of SUDs, populations, and settings consistent with and extending results from prior reviews.

Predictive Validity of Addiction Treatment Clinicians' Post-Training Contingency Management Skills for Subsequent Clinical Outcomes

In the context of a contingency management (CM) implementation/effectiveness hybrid trial, the post-training implementation domains of direct-care clinicians (N=19) were examined in relation to a targeted clinical outcome of subsequently CM-exposed clients. Clinicians' CM skillfulness, a behavioral measure of their capability to skillfully deliver the intended CM intervention, was found to be a robust and specific predictor of their subsequent client outcomes. Analyses also revealed CM skillfulness to: (1) fully mediate an association between a general therapeutic effectiveness and client outcome, (2) partially mediate an association of in-training exposure to CM and client outcome, and (3) be composed of six component clinical practice behaviors that each contributed meaningfully to this behavior fidelity index. Study findings offer preliminary evidence of the predictive validity of post-training CM skillfulness for subsequent client outcomes, and inform suggestions for the design and delivery of skills-focused CM training curricula for the addiction treatment workforce.

Building a bonfire that remains stoked: sustainment of a contingency management intervention developed through collaborative design

BACKGROUND

Community dissemination of empirically-supported behavior therapies is fostered by collaborative design, a joint process pooling expertise of purveyors and treatment personnel to contextualize a therapy for sustainable use. The adaptability of contingency management renders it an exemplary therapy to model this collaborative design process.

METHODS

At conclusion of an implementation/effectiveness hybrid trial conducted at an opiate treatment program, a group elicitation interview was conducted with the setting's five managerial staff to cull qualitative impressions of a collaboratively-designed contingency management intervention after 90 days of provisional implementation in the setting. Two independent raters reviewed the audio-recording and conducted a phenomenological narrative analysis, extracting themes and selecting excerpts to correspond with innovation attributes (i.e., relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, observability) of a well-known implementation science framework.

RESULTS

This qualitative analysis suggested the intervention was regarded as: (1) cost-effective and clinically useful relative to prior practices, (2) a strong fit with existing service structure and staffing resources, (3) procedurally uncomplicated, with staff consistently implementing it as intended, (4) providing site-specific data to sufficiently inform decisions about its sustainment, and (5) offering palpable benefits to staff-patient interactions.

CONCLUSIONS

The current work complements prior reports of positive implementation outcomes and intervention effectiveness for the parent trial, mapping qualitative managerial accounts of this contingency management intervention to a set of attributes thought to influence the speed and effectiveness with which an innovative practice is disseminated. Findings support the incorporation of collaborative design processes in future efforts to transport contingency management to the addiction treatment community.

Psychosocial interventions for pregnant women in outpatient illicit drug treatment programs compared to other interventions

BACKGROUND

Illicit drug use in pregnancy is a complex social and public health problem. The consequences of drug use in pregnancy are high for both the woman and her child. Therefore, it is important to develop and evaluate effective treatments. There is evidence for the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in drug treatment but it is unclear whether they are effective in pregnant women. This is an update of a Cochrane review originally published in 2007.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in pregnant women enrolled in illicit drug treatment programmes on birth and neonatal outcomes, on attendance and retention in treatment, as well as on maternal and neonatal drug abstinence. In short, do psychosocial interventions translate into less illicit drug use, greater abstinence, better birth outcomes, or greater clinic attendance?

SEARCH METHODS

We conducted the original literature search in May 2006 and performed the search update up to January 2015. For both review stages (original and update), we searched the Cochrane Drugs and Alcohol Group Trial's register (May 2006 and January 2015); the Cochrane Central Register of Trials (CENTRAL; the Cochrane Library 2015, Issue 1); PubMed (1996 to January 2015); EMBASE (1996 to January 2015); and CINAHL (1982 to January 2015).

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomized controlled trials comparing any psychosocial intervention vs. a control intervention that could include pharmacological treatment, such as methadone maintenance, a different psychosocial intervention, counselling, prenatal care, STD counselling and testing, transportation, or childcare.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard methodological procedures expected by the Cochrane Collaboration. We performed analyses based on three comparisons: any psychosocial intervention vs. control, contingency management (CM) interventions vs. control, and motivational interviewing based (MIB) interventions vs.

MAIN RESULTS

In total, we included 14 studies with 1298 participants: nine studies (704 participants) compared CM vs. control, and five studies (594 participants) compared MIB interventions vs.

CONTROL

We did not find any studies that assessed other types of psychosocial interventions. For the most part, it was unclear if included studies adequately controlled for biases within their studies as such information was not often reported. We assessed risk of bias in the included studies relating to participant selection, allocation concealment, personnel and outcome assessor blinding, and attrition.The included trials rarely captured maternal and neonatal outcomes. For studies that did measure such outcomes, no difference was observed in pre-term birth rates (RR 0.71, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.34 to 1.51; three trials, 264 participants, moderate quality evidence), maternal toxicity at delivery (RR 1.18, 95% CI 0.52 to 2.65; two trials, 217 participants, moderate quality evidence), or low birth weight (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.36 to 1.43; one trial, 160 participants, moderate quality evidence). However, the results did show that neonates remained in hospital for fewer days after delivery in CM intervention groups (RR -1.27, 95% CI -2.52 to -0.03; two trials, 103 participants, moderate quality evidence). There were no differences observed at the end of studies in retention or abstinence (as assessed by positive drug test at the end of treatment) in any psychosocial intervention group compared to control (Retention: RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.06, nine trials, 743 participants, low quality evidence; and Abstinence: RR 1.14, 95% CI 0.75 to 1.73, three trials, 367 participants, low quality evidence). These results held for both CM and MIB combined. Overall, the quality of the evidence was low to moderate.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The present evidence suggests that there is no difference in treatment outcomes to address drug use in pregnant women with use of psychosocial interventions, when taken in the presence of other comprehensive care options. However, few studies evaluated obstetrical or neonatal outcomes and rarely did so in a systematic way, making it difficult to assess the effect of psychosocial interventions on these clinically important outcomes. It is important to develop a better evidence base to evaluate psychosocial modalities of treatment in this important population.

Medication assisted treatment discontinuation in pregnant and postpartum women with opioid use disorder

BACKGROUND

Increasing use of opioids has led to an increase in the number of pregnant and postpartum women in medication assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder.

METHODS

We (1) conducted a systematic review of published literature on MAT discontinuation (methadone and buprenorphine) in pregnant and postpartum women and (2) determined methadone discontinuation rates in a retrospective cohort (2006-2013) of pregnant and postpartum women in a university affiliated methadone clinic.

RESULTS

We found limited generalizable literature reports of discontinuation rates, with a range of prenatal discontinuation rates from 0 to 33% and rates which spanned various prenatal and postnatal periods from 26 to 64%. In our cohort of 229 women, 251 pregnancies were reported, with a prenatal methadone discontinuation rate of 11.0%. Based on a Cox proportional hazards model controlling for age, pregnancy outcome, and duration of treatment prior to delivery, the probability of methadone discontinuation at or before 6 months postpartum was 56.0%. Duration of methadone treatment prior to delivery was inversely associated with risk for postpartum discontinuation of treatment (HR = 0.98, 95% CI (0.96, 0.99)).

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that the postpartum period is a time of increased risk for discontinuation of MAT. More accurate assessment of rates of pre- and postpartum MAT discontinuation, as well as further investigation of factors affecting these rates, is warranted. Development and testing of interventions to encourage early prenatal enrollment in MAT and improve postnatal retention in MAT would benefit pregnant women and new mothers with opioid use disorder.

Adapting the helpful responses questionnaire to assess communication skills involved in delivering contingency management: preliminary psychometrics

A paper/pencil instrument, adapted from Miller and colleagues' (1991) Helpful Responses Questionnaire (HRQ), was developed to assess clinician skill with core communicative aspects involved in delivering contingency management (CM). The instrument presents a single vignette consisting of six points of client dialogue to which respondents write 'what they would say next.' In the context of an implementation/effectiveness hybrid trial, 19 staff clinicians at an opiate treatment program completed serial training outcome assessments before, following, and three months after CM training. Assessments included this adaptation of the HRQ, a multiple-choice CM knowledge test, and a recorded standardized patient encounter scored for CM skillfulness. Study results reveal promising psychometric properties for the instrument, including strong scoring reliability, internal consistency, concurrent and predictive validity, test-retest reliability and sensitivity to training effects. These preliminary findings suggest the instrument is a viable, practical method to assess clinician skill in communicative aspects of CM delivery.

The effects of fixed versus escalating reinforcement schedules on smoking abstinence

Studies indicate that when abstinence is initiated, escalating reinforcement schedules maintain continuous abstinence longer than fixed reinforcement schedules. However, these studies were conducted for shorter durations than most clinical trials and also resulted in larger reinforcer value for escalating participants during the 1st week of the experiment. We tested whether escalating reinforcement schedules maintained abstinence longer than fixed reinforcement schedules in a 12-week clinical trial. Smokers (146) were randomized to an escalating reinforcement schedule, a fixed reinforcement schedule, or a control condition. Escalating reinforcement participants received $5.00 for their first breath carbon monoxide (CO) sample <3 ppm, with a $0.50 increase for each consecutive sample. Fixed reinforcement participants received $19.75 for each breath CO sample <3 ppm. Control participants received payments only for delivering a breath CO sample. Similar proportions of escalating and fixed reinforcement participants met the breath CO criterion at least once. Escalating reinforcement participants maintained criterion breath CO levels longer than fixed reinforcement and control participants. Similar to previous short-term studies, escalating reinforcement schedules maintained longer durations of abstinence than fixed reinforcement schedules during a clinical trial.

Maintenance agonist treatments for opiate-dependent pregnant women

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of opiate use among pregnant women can range from 1% to 2% to as high as 21%. Heroin crosses the placenta and pregnant, opiate-dependent women experience a six-fold increase in maternal obstetric complications such as low birth weight, toxaemia, third trimester bleeding, malpresentation, puerperal morbidity, fetal distress and meconium aspiration. Neonatal complications include narcotic withdrawal, postnatal growth deficiency, microcephaly, neuro-behavioural problems, increased neonatal mortality and a 74-fold increase in sudden infant death syndrome.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness of any maintenance treatment alone or in combination with psychosocial intervention compared to no intervention, other pharmacological intervention or psychosocial interventions for child health status, neonatal mortality, retaining pregnant women in treatment and reducing the use of substances.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Drugs and Alcohol Group Trials Register (September 2013), PubMed (1966 to September 2013), CINAHL (1982 to September 2013), reference lists of relevant papers, sources of ongoing trials, conference proceedings and national focal points for drug research. We contacted authors of included studies and experts in the field.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials assessing the efficacy of any maintenance pharmacological treatment for opiate-dependent pregnant women.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used the standard methodological procedures expected by The Cochrane Collaboration.

MAIN RESULTS

We found four trials with 271 pregnant women. Three compared methadone with buprenorphine and one methadone with oral slow-release morphine. Three out of four studies had adequate allocation concealment and were double-blind. The major flaw in the included studies was attrition bias: three out of four had a high drop-out rate (30% to 40%) and this was unbalanced between groups.Methadone versus buprenorphine: the drop-out rate from treatment was lower in the methadone group (risk ratio (RR) 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41 to 1.01, three studies, 223 participants). There was no statistically significant difference in the use of primary substance between methadone and buprenorphine (RR 1.81, 95% CI 0.70 to 4.69, two studies, 151 participants). For both, we judged the quality of evidence as low. Birth weight was higher in the buprenorphine group in the two trials that could be pooled (mean difference (MD) -365.45 g (95% CI -673.84 to -57.07), two studies, 150 participants). The third study reported that there was no statistically significant difference. For APGAR score neither of the studies which compared methadone with buprenorphine found a significant difference. For both, we judged the quality of evidence as low. Many measures were used in the studies to assess neonatal abstinence syndrome. The number of newborns treated for neonatal abstinence syndrome, which is the most critical outcome, did not differ significantly between groups. We judged the quality of evidence as very low.Methadone versus slow-release morphine: there was no drop-out in either treatment group. Oral slow-release morphine seemed superior to methadone for abstinence from heroin use during pregnancy (RR 2.40, 95% CI 1.00 to 5.77, one study, 48 participants). We judged the quality of evidence as moderate.Only one study which compared methadone with buprenorphine reported side effects. For the mother there was no statistically significant difference; for the newborns in the buprenorphine group there were significantly fewer serious side effects.In the comparison between methadone and slow-release morphine no side effects were reported for the mother, whereas one child in the methadone group had central apnoea and one child in the morphine group had obstructive apnoea.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We did not find sufficient significant differences between methadone and buprenorphine or slow-release morphineto allow us to conclude that one treatment is superior to another for all relevant outcomes. While methadone seems superior in terms of retaining patients in treatment, buprenorphine seems to lead to less severe neonatal abstinence syndrome. Additionally, even though a multi-centre, international trial with 175 pregnant women has recently been completed and its results published and included in this review, the body of evidence is still too small to draw firm conclusions about the equivalence of the treatments compared. There is still a need for randomised controlled trials of adequate sample size comparing different maintenance treatments.

The efficacy of escalating and fixed contingency management reinforcement on illicit drug use in opioid-dependent pregnant women

OBJECTIVES: Contingency management (CM), long known to be efficacious in the treatment of substance-dependent men and women, has also been found to be efficacious for substance-dependent pregnant women. However, the specific CM reinforcement parameters in the special population of opioid-dependent pregnant women have been less fully and systematically studied. The Drug Abuse Incentive Systems (DAISY) study, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of opioid-dependent pregnant patients, found that escalating reinforcement was not superior to a fixed reinforcement CM schedule after a 13-week intervention. To further examine CM's reinforcement parameters in this population, this study aims to test the hypothesis that there is an early treatment response showing an escalating reinforcement schedule to be significantly more efficacious than a fixed schedule after 5 weeks of intervention in opioid-dependent pregnant patients. METHODS: Nine measures of opioid and cocaine abstinence among fixed and escalating CM schedule participants in the DAISY RCT (N=90) were compared over the initial 5 weeks of the intervention. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference in the opioid and cocaine abstinence measures was found between escalating and fixed conditions after 5 weeks (14 opportunities for each participant to leave a urine sample). The mean (SD) number of drug negative urine samples was 8.1 (4.5) and 7.4 (4.3), for escalating and fixed groups, respectively (p=0.46). CONCLUSIONS: These results further the scientific knowledge regarding CM treatment in opioid-dependent pregnant women by supporting the finding that the escalating and fixed CM schedules produce similar amounts of drug negatives urine samples early in treatment.

Methadone, cocaine, opiates, and metabolite disposition in umbilical cord and correlations to maternal methadone dose and neonatal outcomes

OBJECTIVES

The purpose was to explore methadone and 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP) umbilical cord disposition, correlate with maternal methadone dose and neonatal outcomes, and evaluate the window of drug detection in umbilical cord of in utero illicit drug exposure.

METHODS

Subjects comprised 19 opioid-dependent pregnant women from 2 clinical studies, one comparing methadone and buprenorphine pharmacotherapy for opioid-dependence treatment and the second examining monetary reinforcement schedules to maintain drug abstinence. Correlations were calculated for methadone and EDDP umbilical cord concentrations and maternal methadone dose, and neonatal outcomes. Cocaine- and opiate-positive umbilical cord concentrations were compared with those in placenta and meconium, and urine specimens collected throughout gestation.

RESULTS

Significant positive correlations were found for umbilical cord methadone concentrations and methadone mean daily dose, mean dose during the third trimester, and methadone cumulative daily dose. Umbilical cord EDDP concentrations and EDDP/methadone concentration ratios were positively correlated to newborn length, peak neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) score, and time-to-peak NAS score. Methadone concentrations and EDDP/methadone ratios in umbilical cord and placenta were positively correlated. Meconium identified many more cocaine- and opiate-positive specimens than did umbilical cord.

CONCLUSIONS

Umbilical cord methadone concentrations were correlated to methadone doses. Also, our results indicate that methadone and EDDP concentrations might help to predict the NAS severity. Meconium proved to be more suitable than umbilical cord to detect in utero exposure to cocaine and opiates; however, umbilical cord could be useful when meconium is unavailable due to in utero or delayed expulsion.