title: Participation in religious activities during contingency management interventions is associated with substance use treatment outcomes.
abstract: Many drug abuse treatment programs encourage participation in religious activities, yet there is scant research regarding their effectiveness. Contingency management (CM) interventions sometimes reinforce the completion of non-drug related activities, and church attendance is a popular activity. Cocaine abusers (n = 184) randomized to CM interventions were categorized based on whether or not they engaged in three or more religious activities. Engagers in religious activities (n = 34) remained in treatment longer, were abstinent for longer durations, and submitted more substance-negative samples than non-engagers (n = 150), even after controlling for number of activities completed overall. Thus, encouraging religious involvement during CM treatment may improve during treatment outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, MC-3944, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030-3944, USA. petry@psychiatry.uchc.edu
authors.forename: Nancy M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Petry
authors.forename: Marilyn W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Elin M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Ostvik-White