Relation of depression diagnoses to 2-year outcomes in cocaine-dependent patients in a randomized continuing care...

This study examined the relation between depression diagnoses and outcomes in 132 cocaine-dependent patients who were randomized to relapse prevention (RP) or standard 12-step focused group continuing care and followed for 2 years. Depressed patients attended more treatment sessions and had more cocaine-free urines during treatment than participants without depression, but they drank alcohol more frequently before treatment and during the 18-month posttreatment follow-up. Cocaine outcomes in depressed patients deteriorated to a greater degree after treatment than did cocaine outcomes in patients without depression, particularly in patients in RP who had a current depressive disorder at baseline. The best alcohol outcomes were obtained in nondepressed patients who received RP. The results suggest that extended continuing care treatment may be warranted for cocaine-dependent patients with co-occurring depressive disorders.