Counselor attitudes toward the use of motivational incentives in addiction treatment.
Counselor attitudes toward evidence-based practices, such as motivational incentives/contingency management (MI/CM), are important in bridging the gap between research and practice. Mailed surveys from 1,959 substance abuse treatment counselors showed ambivalence toward MI/CM and strong disagreement with using monetary rewards for achievement of treatment goals. Attitudes were associated with counselors' educational attainment, a 12-step treatment ideology, affiliation with NIDA's Clinical Trials Network, and working in opioid treatment programs. Exposure to MI/CM via training was more strongly associated with attitudes when counselors worked in programs that had adopted MI/CM. While there is substantial resistance to MI/CM, dissemination and training about the essential elements of MI/CM may enhance counselors' receptivity toward this intervention.
Institute for Behavioral Research, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.
Lori J
LJ
Ducharme
Hannah K
HK
Knudsen
Amanda J
AJ
Abraham
Paul M
PM
Roman
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003376:Counseling; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D054577:National Institute on Drug Abuse (U.S.); D012201:Reward; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D014481:United States