Research findings on psychotherapy of addictive disorders

Psychoanalytically trained physicians working in methadone programs in the 1980s theorized that adding psychotherapy to addiction treatment would improve outcomes. Since then, a number of clinical studies have evaluated the effect of psychotherapy, drug counseling, and twelve-step intervention on treatment outcomes in methadone maintenance or cocaine and alcohol addiction programs. These studies have shown consistently that psychosocial treatments are helpful for patients with addictive disorders, with an effect size that ranges from mild to moderate. Major studies of psychotherapy in the treatment of addictive disorders are reviewed, and background information on psychotherapy and drug counseling is presented.