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Updated: Mar 12, 2026
09:16
A General Method for Evaluating Deep Brain Stimulation Effects on Intravenous Methamphetamine Self-Administration
Published on: January 22, 2016
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Cost-effectiveness of contingency management for methamphetamine use disorder: A model-based analysis
Gary L Qian1, Yupeng Chen1, Richard A Rawson2
1Department of Management Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Addiction (Abingdon, England)
|March 10, 2026
Summary
Contingency management (CM) is a cost-effective treatment for methamphetamine use disorder (MethUD), preventing deaths and improving quality of life. Even with a $750 incentive cap, CM programs offer significant value for public health initiatives.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Economics
- Addiction Medicine
Background:
- Methamphetamine use disorder (MethUD) is a growing public health crisis in the US.
- Contingency management (CM) incentivizes positive behaviors like drug abstinence and treatment adherence.
- The cost-effectiveness of CM for MethUD, especially with increased federal incentives, requires thorough evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the cost-effectiveness of CM interventions for individuals with MethUD in the US.
- To model the impact of CM on mortality, healthcare costs, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs).
- To evaluate CM programs with 12-week and 24-week durations and a $750 incentive cap.
Main Methods:
- A microsimulation model was developed to simulate MethUD behaviors and treatment outcomes.
- The model incorporated methamphetamine use states, comorbidities, and CM program parameters.
- A cohort of 10,000 individuals with MethUD was simulated over their lifetime, comparing CM to no treatment.
Main Results:
- CM programs significantly reduced deaths compared to no treatment (117-153 deaths prevented over 1 year).
- Both 12-week and 24-week CM programs yielded positive QALY gains (0.70-0.81 per person).
- Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were $9,830/QALY for 12-week and $12,312/QALY for 24-week CM, considered cost-effective.
Conclusions:
- Contingency management is a highly cost-effective intervention for MethUD, even under conservative assumptions.
- The $750 incentive cap is associated with favorable cost-effectiveness outcomes.
- Including broader societal costs (criminal justice, child welfare) suggests CM programs may be cost-saving.
Keywords:
behavioral treatmentcontingency managementcost‐effectiveness analysismental healthmethamphetamine use disorderstimulant use managementMore Related Videos
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