Contingent reinforcement of group participation versus abstinence in a methadone maintenance program

This study compared the effectiveness of 2 types of contingency management interventions on reducing unauthorized drug use among methadone maintenance patients. Take-home medications were used to reinforce either the provision of drug-free urines (UA) or attendance of groups providing training in interpersonal problem solving (TIPS). Newly enrolled patients were randomly assigned to either the TIPS (n = 34) or the UA (n = 32) condition after a 12-week stabilization period. During the course of the 24-week intervention period, UA participants showed greater improvement than TIPS participants in rates of abstinence from unauthorized drugs. Also, a greater proportion of UA participants met a priori criteria for clinical improvement, whereas a greater proportion of TIPS participants met a priori criteria for clinical deterioration. The results support the efficacy of contingency interventions targeted specifically at drug-using behavior.