Behavior therapy in drug abuse treatment: review and evaluation

The goal of drug abuse treatment is to decrease the dominance of drug-related behaviors while enhancing the dominance of alternative socially acceptable behaviors. The behavioral techniques of extinction, satiation, and punishment can be used to suppress undesirable behaviors, and reinforcement can be used to enhance desirable behaviors. Methadone maintenance offers unique advantages for treatment of opiate abuse since methadone satiates the drug abuser, thereby reducing the reinforcing efficacy of illicit opiate drugs, while also serving as a reinforcer whose delivery in the treatment setting can be used in contingent arrangements. Short-term efficacy has been demonstrated in studies that used contingent treatment termination or contingent dose decreases as punishing events and contingent dose increases or contingent take-home privileges as reinforcing events to promote reductions in drug use and cooperation with clinic rules. Systematic use of dose adjustments and take-home privileges may be a useful adjunct to methadone maintenance treatment, having a positive impact both on client outcomes and clinic operation. Rehabilitation efforts might also benefit if delivery of reinforcers available at the clinic is contingent upon participation in skills training and therapy programs or community activities outside the drug abuse clinic.