Journal de l'alcoolisme et de la toxicomanie
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Measuring Outcome in the Treatment of Cocaine Dependence

Paul Crits-Christoph, Robert Gallop, Mary Beth Connolly Gibbons, Jaclyn S Sadicario and George Woody

Background: Little is known about the extent to which outcome measures used in studies of the treatment of cocaine dependence are associated with longer-term use and with broader measures of clinical improvement. The current study examined reductions in use, and abstinence-oriented measures, in relation to functioning and longerterm clinical benefits in the treatment of cocaine dependence.

Methods: Overall drug use, cocaine use, and functioning in a number of addiction-related domains for 487 patients diagnosed with DSM-IV cocaine dependence and treated with one of four psychosocial interventions in the NIDA Cocaine Collaborative Treatment Study were assessed monthly during 6 months of treatment and at 9, 12, 15, and 18 month follow-up.

Results: Measures of during-treatment reduction in use were moderately correlated with drug and cocaine use measures 12 months, but showed non-significant or small correlations with measures of functioning at 12 months. Highest correlations were evident for abstinence measures (maximum consecutive days abstinence and completely abstinent) during treatment in relation to sustained (3 month) abstinence at 12 months. Latent class analysis of patterns of change over time revealed that most patients initially (months 1 to 4 of treatment) either became abstinent immediately or continued to use every month. Over the course of follow-up, patients either maintained abstinence or used regularly – intermittent use was less common.

Conclusions: There were generally small associations between various measures of cocaine use and longterm clinical benefits other than abstinence, was associated with continued abstinence. No one method of measuring outcome of treatment of cocaine dependence appears superior to others.