THERAPY ADD-ONS TO DETOX AND MAINTENANCE; NEW PREVENTION TACTIC
A new bulletin has collated the latest additions to the Effectiveness Bank. Two syntheses of
research for the Cochrane collaboration offer an instructive contrast between the non-impact of
psychosocial therapy as an add-on to methadone maintenance and positive impacts in detoxification
programmes based on reducing doses of the same drug. For the reviewers, a testament to the power of
basic methadone maintenance. At the other end of the intervention spectrum, a team of US researchers
has been trying to make universal youth drug use prevention more feasible for schools and colleges
by targeting the most common substances and other health-relevant behaviours in one package
delivered face-to-face in less than half an hour.
To view the whole bulletin click this link:
http://findings.org.uk/docs/bulletins/Bull_10_09_12.php
or click the links below to view an entry in the bulletin. If clicking does not work, paste the link
in to your web browser address box, being sure to enter the whole address.
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EXTRA THERAPY DOES NOT IMPROVE ON METHADONE PLUS COUNSELLING
Update of Cochrane review of rigorous studies surprisingly finds that adding psychosocial therapy to
opiate substitute prescribing makes no difference to retention or substance use - a testament to the
power of the routine treatment and a blow (but not a fatal one) to hopes that extra therapy would
aid recovery and treatment exit.
http://findings.org.uk/count/downloads/download.php?file=Amato_L_5.txt
THERAPY MEANS MORE COMPLETE OPIATE DETOXIFICATION
Authoritative review of controlled studies finds that offering therapy and incentives alongside
drugs which ameliorate withdrawal symptoms increases the numbers who complete detoxification from
heroin and who stay opiate free, but still most do neither. Our analysis describes the interesting
findings of the only British study in the review.
http://findings.org.uk/count/downloads/download.php?file=Amato_L_4.txt
SUBSTANCE USING PUPILS CUT BACK AFTER HEALTH PROMOTION SESSION
Across the sample, a brief face-to-face consultation highlighting how substance use might stop them
becoming the sort of young adults they wanted to be generally did not prevent substance use among US
high school pupils, but those already using substances were significantly more responsive,
suggesting a selective if not a universal prevention role.
http://findings.org.uk/count/downloads/download.php?file=Werch_CE_12.cab
FEW SUSTAINED GAINS FROM HEALTH PROMOTION SESSION WITH COLLEGE STUDENTS
US university students at first cut back their drinking and cannabis use in response to a brief
face-to-face contrast of their desired image versus their health-related behaviour, but the gains
were no longer apparent a year later. Still at that time they had at least experienced more positive
trends in how well they felt than students who had just read a fitness brochure.
http://findings.org.uk/count/downloads/download.php?file=Werch_CE_11.cab
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interventions. Findings is managed by DrugScope, Alcohol Concern and the National Addiction Centre.
The Effectiveness Bank is supported by Alcohol Research UK and the J Paul Getty Jr Charitable Trust.
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