title: Contingent reinforcement increases cocaine abstinence during outpatient treatment and 1 year of follow-up.
abstract: This study assessed whether contingent incentives can be used to reinforce cocaine abstinence in dependent outpatients. Seventy cocaine-dependent outpatients were randomized into 2 conditions. All participants received 24 weeks of treatment and 1 year of follow-up. The treatment provided to all participants combined counseling based on the community reinforcement approach with incentives in the form of vouchers exchangeable for retail items. In 1 condition, incentives were delivered contingent on cocaine-free urinalysis results, whereas in the other condition incentives were delivered independent of urinalysis results. Abstinence-contingent incentives significantly increased cocaine abstinence during treatment and 1 year of follow-up compared with noncontingent incentives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington 05401, USA. stephen.higgins@uvm.edu
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Badger
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Ogden
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Dantona
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection; D014040:Token Economy