STAGE 5. Defining the action plan

What steps should be completed?

Step 1: Specify intervention actions

EVIDENCE ON COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPIES

Cognitive behavioural therapies, both in individual and group format +, are generally more effective than other psychotherapeutic and pharmacological modalities separately and their efficacy increases in multicomponent treatments.¹

Training in coping skills. This type of intervention is effective at treating addictive behaviours, especially when integrated in broad and multidisciplinary programmes. This approach, especially as part of wider multimodal programmes, is one of the most effective treatments of alcohol and/or cocaine dependence.¹

Relapse prevention. Relapse prevention an effective treatment for drug dependence1 when used within broader treatment programmes.

Contingency management. When treating opiate dependence, either with methadone/naltrexone or psychosocial programmes, contingency management interventions (delivery of incentives contingent on negative testing, attendance at treatment sessions or involvement in alternative or drug-incompatible activities) is highly effective at increasing retention and encouraging abstinence from drugs.² Contingency management interventions also improve retention and reduce relapses in treatment for alcohol, cocaine, marijuana and other drug dependence.¹

Community reinforcement programmes. Treatment with community reinforcement programmes plus an incentive therapy is effective in outpatient treatment of cocaine, alcohol and opiate dependence (increases retention rates in outpatient programmes and reduces drug use).^1,2

Cognitive therapy. Beck's cognitive therapy has proven to be better than non-treatment in addictive behaviours, although not better than other psychotherapeutic therapies.¹

Family and couples behavioural therapy. Behavioural couples therapy, to improve family relationships, helps improve abstinence rates during drug treatment, so patients living with partners who do not take drugs should be offered family and/or partner behavioural therapy.¹

 

References:

1 Becoña E & Cortés MT. (2011). Manual de adicciones para psicólogos especialistas en psicología clínica en formación [Manual of addictions for psychologists in training specialising in clinical psychology]. Barcelona: Socidrogalcohol.

2 National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). (2010). Principles of drug addiction treatment: a research-based guide. Washington: National Institute on Drug Abuse.