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How Treatment-Refractory Addiction Is Defined: A Scoping Review
Nicholas L Bormann1, Jesse R Burson, Emily M Burson
1Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (NLB, JRB, VK, TSO); Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (EMB); Mayo Clinic Libraries, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (MMG); Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (BJC); Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO (MG).
The addiction field lacks a clear definition for individuals who use multiple treatments without remission. Using "treatment-refractory" may better describe this population and guide tailored interventions.
Area of Science:
- Addiction Medicine
- Clinical Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- The addiction field lacks standardized terminology for individuals with persistent substance use despite multiple treatment attempts.
- This ambiguity hinders research and clinical efforts to identify and support this population.
Conclusions:
- A consistent definition for continued treatment nonresponse in addiction is needed for effective research and clinical care.
- "Treatment-refractory" is suggested as a preferred term over "treatment-resistant" for its person-first language.
- An agreed-upon definition will facilitate the identification of this at-risk population and the development of targeted interventions.
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