Abstinence rates following behavioral treatments for marijuana dependence.

Abstract

Previous studies have noted particular difficulty in achieving abstinence among those who are marijuana dependent. The present study employed a dismantling design to determine whether adding contingency management (ContM) to motivational enhancement therapy plus cognitive behavioral therapy (MET+CBT), an intervention used in prior studies of treatment for marijuana dependence, would enhance abstinence outcomes. 240 marijuana dependent participants were recruited via advertisements and assigned to either MET+CBT, ContM-only, MET+CBT+ContM, or to a case-management control condition. All interventions involved 9 weekly 1-h sessions, except for the ContM-only condition whose sessions lasted about 15 min. ContM provided reinforcement for marijuana-free urine specimens, in the form of vouchers redeemable for goods or services. Follow-up data were collected at posttreatment and at 3-month intervals for 1 year. The two ContM conditions had superior abstinence outcomes: ContM-only had the highest abstinence rates at posttreatment, and the MET+CBT+ContM combination had the highest rates at later follow-ups. The roles of contingency management and coping skills training in the treatment of marijuana dependence are discussed.

• Authors: Ronald M Kadden, Mark D Litt, Elise Kabela-Cormier, Nancy M Petry
• Journal: Addictive behaviors (Addict Behav) Vol. 32 Issue 6 Pg. 1220-36 (Jun 2007) ISSN: 0306-4603 [Print] England
• PMID: 16996224 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)

Topics

• Adult
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (methods)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Marijuana Abuse (epidemiology, prevention & control, therapy)
• Motivation
• Periodicity
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Time Factors