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The Added Value of Pharmacotherapy to Cognitive Behavior Therapy And Vice Versa in the Treatment of Alcohol Use
Jan van Amsterdam1, Peter Blanken2, Renske Spijkerman2
1Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Research Program Compulsivity, Impulsivity & Attention, P.O. Box 22660, 1100 DD, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Aim:
To explore whether combined interventions i.e. psychotherapeutic plus psychosocial interventions are more effective than monotherapies in the treatment of alcohol use disorders.
Methods:
Systematic review of the results of randomized controlled trials that compared combined therapies with monotherapies (either pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy).
Results:
The search resulted in 28 eligible studies. Data from these RCTs showed that 10 out of 19 RCTs (53%) demonstrated an added value of combined therapy (psychotherapy + pharmacotherapy) compared to psychotherapy only, whereas only three out of nine RCTs (33%) comparing combined therapy with pharmacotherapy showed a possible added value for combined therapy.
Conclusions:
Pharmacotherapy is effective to treat AUD with or without psychotherapy and that psychotherapy can best be offered in combination with pharmacotherapy.
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