Effects of control and motivation on treatment outcome

This investigation was designed to determine who would benefit most from enhanced motivation, increased awareness of control, and the opportunity to make choices in substance abuse treatment. Thirty males and 21 females participated in treatment planning, goal setting, and determining methadone dosage level. Subjects were assigned at random to the Choice or Force condition. Choice group subjects were allowed to choose the type of treatment and their urinalysis schedule. No significant differences between groups on treatment outcome variables were found. However, higher motivation at the start of treatment predicted greater depression after 12 weeks. Results suggest that more highly motivated individuals seeking relief from substance dependency may be more vulnerable to depression which, in turn, can attenuate treatment effectiveness.