Substance abuse treatment patients with early onset cocaine use respond as well to contingency management interventions as those with later onset cocaine use

J Subst Abuse Treat. 2014 Aug;47(2):146-50. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2014.04.003. Epub 2014 May 2.

Abstract

Early onset drug use is associated with increased risk of developing substance use disorders, but relatively little is known about the correlates of early drug use among adults receiving treatment. A retrospective analysis of a randomized study of contingency management treatment compared cocaine-dependent patients who reported initial cocaine use at age 14 or younger (n = 41) to those who began using after age 14 (n = 387). Patients with early onset cocaine use had more legal and psychiatric problems than those who initiated cocaine use later. Patients with early-onset cocaine use also dropped out of treatment sooner and achieved less sustained abstinence than those who began using at older ages, but the interaction between age of first use and treatment condition was not significant. Early-onset cocaine use is associated with persistent psychosocial problems and an overall poor response to treatment. However, contingency management is efficacious in improving outcomes in early onset cocaine users.

Keywords: Cocaine; Contingency management; Early onset drug use; Outpatient treatment.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age of Onset
  • Cocaine / administration & dosage*
  • Cocaine-Related Disorders / rehabilitation*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Dropouts / statistics & numerical data
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Reinforcement, Psychology*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Cocaine