A reinforcement-based therapeutic workplace for the treatment of drug abuse: three-year abstinence outcomes

Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2002 Aug;10(3):228-40. doi: 10.1037//1064-1297.10.3.228.

Abstract

Long-term Therapeutic Workplace effects were evaluated in heroin- and cocaine-dependent, unemployed, treatment-resistant young mothers. Participants were paid to work or to train in the Therapeutic Workplace but had to provide drug-free urine samples to gain daily access. Participants (N = 40) were randomly assigned to a Therapeutic Workplace or usual care control group. Therapeutic Workplace participants could work for 3 years. Relative to controls, Therapeutic Workplace participants increased cocaine (28% vs. 54% negative; p = .04) and opiate (37% vs. 60% negative; p = .05) abstinence on the basis of monthly urine samples collected until 3 years after intake. The Therapeutic Workplace can be an effective long-term treatment of cocaine and heroin addiction in poor and chronically unemployed young mothers.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Behavior
  • Cocaine-Related Disorders / psychology
  • Cocaine-Related Disorders / rehabilitation
  • Efficiency
  • Employment
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Learning
  • Middle Aged
  • Motivation
  • Opioid-Related Disorders / psychology
  • Opioid-Related Disorders / rehabilitation
  • Patient Education as Topic
  • Patient Selection
  • Reinforcement, Psychology*
  • Substance Abuse Detection
  • Substance-Related Disorders / psychology
  • Substance-Related Disorders / rehabilitation*
  • Substance-Related Disorders / urine
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Workplace / psychology*