Evidence-based practices for substance use disorders

There are inherent complexities in evaluating EBPs for substance use disorders: the heterogeneity of the disorder itself, the variability in people who suffer from them, the range of settings in which services are provided, and multiple lines of research development. This article outlined four models for evaluating the evidence for interventions for substance use disorders, and presented brief descriptions of pharmacological, behavioral/psychosocial, and treatment services that have a clearly defined intervention (chemical agent or manual-guided therapy) and a documented record of objective evaluation. Although substantial work is underway to evaluate effectiveness in the real world, clinicians and individuals with substance use disorders and their families should be cognizant of the burgeoning array of effective treatment alternatives that are available.