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Does post‐withdrawal cue exposure improve outcome in opiate addiction? A controlled trial
Author(s) -
DAWE SHARON,
POWELL JANE,
RICHARDS DAVID,
GOSSOP MICHAEL,
MARKS ISAAC,
STRANG JOHN,
GRAY JEFFREY A.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1993.tb02146.x
Subject(s) - craving , addiction , opiate , mood , cue reactivity , psychology , randomized controlled trial , medicine , psychiatry , receptor
A controlled trial studied whether cue exposure prevented relapse in opiate addiction. Subjects were randomly allocated to one of two inpatient treatment settings: a drug dependence unit with a special 10 week program and 4 weeks in a behavioural/general treatment unit without such a program. In each setting, following drug‐withdrawal, subjects had either cue exposure for at least six sessions over 3 weeks, or a control condition. Subjects were followed up twice, at about 6 weeks and 6 months post‐treatment. 186 subjects were randomly allocated; 69 were assessed post‐detoxification, and of these 43 completed cue exposure or control treatments. Cue exposure and control subjects did not differ in cue reactivity. This was evaluated post‐treatment for cue exposure subjects and at a comparable time point for controls. All groups showed a significant decrement in cue‐elicited craving, withdrawal responses and negative mood. Cue exposure and control subjects did not differ at either of the two follow up interviews.