Brief Treatments for Cannabis Dependence Findings From a Randomized Multisite Trial

• Published in: Journal of consulting and clinical psychology Vol. 72; no. 3; pp. 455 - 466
• Main Authors: Babor, Thomas F, Carroll, Kathleen, Christiansen, Kenneth, Donaldson, Jean, Herrell, James, Kadden, Ronald, Litt, Mark, McRee, Bonnie, Miller, Michael, Roffman, Roger, Solowji, Nadia, Steinberg, Karen, Stephens, Robert, Vendetti, Janice
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychological Association 01-06-2004; APA Service Center
• Subjects: Addiction; Adult; Behavior Modification; Biological and medical sciences; Brief interventions; Brief Psychotherapy; Cannabis; Cannabis Use; Case Management; Caseworker Approach; Clinical psychology; Cognitive Behavior Therapy; Cognitive Restructuring; Cognitive therapy; Comparative studies; Desintoxication. Drug withdrawal; Drug Addiction; Drug dependency; Efficacy; Female; Human; Humans; Male; Marijuana; Marijuana Abuse - therapy; Medical sciences; Medical treatment; Mental Disorders; Motivation; Program Effectiveness; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychotherapeutic Outcomes; Psychotherapy, Brief - methods; Randomized controlled trials; Substance abuse treatment; Therapy; Treatment; Treatment Planning; Treatments; U.S.A; USA; Consumption; Short term; Human; Drug addiction; Poison withdrawal; Treatment efficiency; Cannabidaceae; Cannabis; Follow up study; Dicotyledones; Marihuana; Angiospermae; Dependence; Evolution; Spermatophyta
• ISSN: 0022-006X; 1939-2117
• DOI: 10.1037/0022-006X.72.3.455

This study evaluated the efficacy of 2 brief interventions for cannabis-dependent adults. A multisite randomized controlled trial compared cannabis use outcomes across 3 study conditions: (a) 2 sessions of motivational enhancement therapy (MET); (b) 9 sessions of multicomponent therapy that included MET, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and case management; and (c) a delayed treatment control (DTC) condition. Participants were 450 adult marijuana smokers with a
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(4th ed.;
American Psychiatric Association, 1994
) diagnosis of cannabis dependence. Assessments were conducted at baseline, and at 4, 9, and 15 months postrandomization. The 9-session treatment reduced marijuana smoking and associated consequences significantly more than the 2-session treatment, which also reduced marijuana use relative to the DTC condition. Most differences between treatments were maintained over the follow-up period. Discussion focuses on the relative efficacy of these brief treatments and the clinical significance of the observed changes in marijuana use.