Network Support for Treatment of Alcohol Dependence

Network and Contingency Management for Alcohol Treatment

Relapse is the most serious problem in alcoholism treatment. The overall aim of the present study was to determine if a treatment directed at changing the patient's social network, from one that reinforces drinking behavior to one that reinforces sobriety, can create the conditions necessary for long-term treatment success. In addition, we intended to determine if explicit reinforcement for this change of social network (Contingency Management or ContM) would be more effective than the same network support intervention without contingent reinforcement for change.

Inclusion Criteria:

• meet DSM-IV criteria for Alcohol Dependence
• at least 18 years old
• Willing to accept random assignment to treatment conditions

Exclusion Criteria:

• acute medical or psychiatric problems that require inpatient treatment
• reading ability below the fifth grade level
• lack of reliable transportation to the treatment site
• excessive commuting distance to site
• current dependence on drugs (except marijuana)