Individualized assessment and treatment program (IATP) for cannabis use disorder: Randomized controlled trial with...

This study tested a new approach to the treatment of cannabis use disorder (CUD). CUD is difficult to treat, and achieving abstinence is particularly difficult. The individualized assessment and treatment program (IATP) was intended to address this problem by providing a highly individualized approach to the training of coping skills most relevant for each individual. To do this, an experience sampling procedure was used prior to treatment to record patients' marijuana use behavior and associated thoughts, feelings, coping behaviors, and situations. This information was used by therapists to plan treatment that would address the specific strengths and weaknesses of each patient in drug-use situations. The present study tested IATP against a conventional combined motivational enhancement cognitive-behavioral treatment (MET-CBT), with or without the addition of contingency management (CM) for abstinence. The patients were 198 men and women randomly assigned to 1 of 4 nine-session treatment conditions: MET-CBT, MET-CBT-CM, IATP, or IATP-CM. Patients were assessed out to 14 months. Planned contrasts indicated that the IATP conditions yielded greater levels of abstinence than did the MET-CBT conditions. The addition of CM did not bolster the performance of IATP but did do so for MET-CBT. As expected, IATP lead to greater use of coping skills than did the MET-CBT conditions. However, coping skills use was not a significant predictor of outcome when other variables were in the same analyses. Self-efficacy was a robust predictor and mediator of outcome. We suggest that the IATP may act by enhancing self-efficacy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).