Metacognitive Therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder: A Systematic Case Series

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Addiction Psychiatry

Background:

• Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) presents significant health and psychosocial challenges.
• Current psychological treatments for AUD have moderate efficacy, with common relapse rates.
• Novel therapeutic approaches are needed to improve AUD treatment outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) for individuals diagnosed with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

Main Methods:

• A non-concurrent multiple baseline design was employed with five AUD patients.
• Each patient received 12 one-hour sessions of Metacognitive Therapy (MCT).
• Outcomes were assessed at 3- and 6-month follow-up points.

Main Results:

• All patients showed significant reductions in weekly alcohol consumption and binge drinking episodes post-MCT.
• These positive effects were largely maintained at both 3- and 6-month follow-ups.
• Substantial improvements in metacognitive beliefs were observed as a secondary outcome.

Conclusions:

• Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) demonstrates preliminary efficacy in reducing alcohol use and binge drinking in AUD.
• The findings support further investigation into MCT for AUD and other addictive behaviors.
• A definitive clinical trial of MCT for addictive behaviors is warranted.