A motivational intervention trial to reduce cocaine use

Area of Science:

• Addiction medicine
• Clinical psychology
• Public health

Background:

• Cocaine use disorder remains a significant public health challenge.
• Effective interventions are needed to reduce cocaine consumption and associated harms.
• Motivational interviewing shows promise for substance use behavior change.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a brief motivational intervention in reducing cocaine use.
• To compare outcomes between a motivational intervention group and an assessment control group.
• To identify specific subgroups that may benefit most from the intervention.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 198 weekly cocaine users.
• Participants received either a four-session motivational intervention or an assessment control.
• Outcomes were assessed at 6-month follow-up using intent-to-treat analysis of self-reported cocaine use.

Main Results:

• The overall cohort showed no significant differences in cocaine use reduction between groups.
• However, participants using cocaine on 15+ days at baseline showed significantly greater reduction with the intervention (p = .023).
• No significant group differences were found in employment, quality of life, or treatment entry.

Conclusions:

• A brief motivational intervention can be effective in reducing cocaine use days, particularly for the heaviest users.
• The intervention demonstrated superior outcomes for individuals with high baseline cocaine use frequency.
• Both intervention and control conditions led to positive changes in cocaine use, suggesting assessment itself may have benefits.