OUTPATIENT TREATMENT FOR COCAINE ABUSE - A CONTROLLED COMPARISON OF RELAPSE PREVENTION AND 12-STEP APPROACHES

This study sought to assess the efficacy of treatment for cocaine abus e and to compare the relative effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral relapse prevention treatment with that of a Twelve-Step recovery suppo rt group in an outpatient group treatment setting. One hundred ten sub jects seeking treatment were alternately assigned to relapse preventio n or Twelve-Step treatment. Self-report data were collected at baselin e, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up. There were no differential ef fects of treatment type on cocaine or marijuana use over time. However , subjects in both treatment conditions reduced cocaine and marijuana use at posttreatment. Subjects in both groups reduced their alcohol us e from pretreatment to posttreatment. Subjects receiving Twelve-Step t reatment showed greater increases from posttreatment to 6-month follow -up in alcohol use than did relapse prevention participants. Treatment attendance was negatively related to cocaine use at posttreatment and cocaine and marijuana use at 6-month follow-up. Difficulties in condu cting cocaine treatment outcome research are discussed as are treatmen t and research implications of the findings.