A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED-STUDY OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT TREATMENT FOR COCAINE DEPENDENCE

Objective: A randomized controlled study design was used to compare th e effectiveness of intensive outpatient treatment with individual outp atient counseling and a combination of individual and group outpatient counseling for cocaine-dependent patients. Methods: Volunteers for th is study were recruited from among first admissions to an inner-city, public-sector outpatient substance abuse clinic. In-treatment, end-of- treatment, and nine-month follow-up assessments were compared for part icipants randomly assigned for 12 weeks to one of three treatment moda lities-weekly individual outpatient counseling, weekly individual coun seling plus one weekly group session, or a newly designed intensive gr oup treatment program consisting of three hours of group treatment thr ee days a week. Results and conclusions: Patients who completed the in tensive program showed significant improvement from intake to end-of-t reatment scores on the Addiction Severity Index, the Beck Depression I nventory, and the Symptom Checklist. At nine-month follow-up, patients who had remained in treatment longer had fewer drug problems, a small er proportion of positive urine drug screening tests, a better employm ent status, and fewer psychological problems compared with patients wh o left treatment earlier. Patients who remained in treatment were also more likely to be attending self-help meetings, continuing in outpati ent treatment, or attending school. However, for the 447 patients rand omly assigned to the three conditions, there were no significant diffe rences between treatment modalities on any of the variables at nine-mo nth follow-up. The new intensive treatment program was not shown to be superior to more traditional treatment programs.