Such questions are complex, but highly significant for future clinical training, intervention refinement, and community program implementation. CBT4CBT (computer based training in cognitive behavioral therapy) covers seven key cognitive behavioral skills, or ‘modules’, (functional analyses, coping with craving, refusing offers of drugs or alcohol, problem solving skills, recognizing and changing thoughts, decision making skills, and HIV/HCV risk reduction). Since then, cognitive behavioral approaches have been among the most-studied treatment approaches for addictive behaviors, with much of that literature published in Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. CBT is a psychotherapy approach known best for its flexibility, adaptability and incorporation of new developments. CBT is evidence-based, meaning that the tools, strategies and techniques are continuously evaluated, renewed and updated based on recent scientific researches and technological developments. The CBT strategies are continuously updated through the use of new, scientific findings and insights from the fields of psychology, neuroscience and related fields.
- Despite work on cue reactivity, there is limited empirical support for the efficacy of cue exposure in recent literature14.
- Cocaine is an addictive stimulant drug that can change lives and be life-threatening.
- Relapse prevention programmes are based on social cognitive and cognitive behavioural principles.
Availability of data and materials
Results from an initial pilot study conducted at an outpatient addiction treatment facility indicated those assigned to CBT4CBT for AUD plus TAU had a greater increase in their rate of alcohol abstinence, and greater decrease in heavy drinking days during the 8-week treatment period than those assigned to TAU only (Kiluk et al., 2016). We also found those assigned to CBT4CBT plus TAU attended more treatment sessions and were more likely to complete the treatment protocol compared to TAU. A primary reason for the mixed evidence regarding mechanism may relate to the manner in which traditional CBT is delivered—through a clinician. Variability in fidelity to the intervention, dose and quality of delivery, as well as clinician/therapist factors may directly affect the active treatment ingredients hypothesized to be responsible for contributing to behavior change (Carroll et al., 2000b; Miller & Rollnick, 2014; Perepletchikova, Treat, & Kazdin, 2007). Furthermore, specific effects are deemed inseparable from “relational” effects (e.g., therapeutic alliance) when treatments are delivered in the context of an interpersonal relationship (Miller & Moyers, 2014), thereby making it difficult to identify CBT’s precise mechanisms. Non-significant pooled effects, in contrast to a specific therapy, across outcome types and follow-up time point was observed in the present study.
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- Gamblers Anonymous (GA), or other 12-step programs, may also help you overcome your gambling addiction.
- Technology may provide a means for CBT interventions to circumvent the ‘implementation cliff’ in Stages 3–5 by offering a flexible, low-cost, standardized means of disseminating CBT in a range of novel settings and populations.
- Then, there is a phase of action, or coping skills training, that emphasizes enactment of specific behaviors to re-shape reward contingencies, put numerous biopsychosocial resources into place, and facilitate ongoing relapse prevention given this can be part of the normal course of AOD.
- Furthermore, there remains limited understanding regarding CBT’s mechanisms of behavior change; the theory-driven assumption that individuals acquire new skills for coping with triggers for substance use has notoriously lacked statistical support.
Many resources are available online, such as therapy directories or mental health organizations, where individuals can search for licensed therapists trained in CBT. Additionally, local community health centers often provide information on available CBT programs. An engaging technique in CBT includes mental rehearsals and role-playing scenarios that simulate high-risk situations.
- This shows an overwhelming acceptance of its efficacy in the therapeutic community.
- The abstinence violation effect is characterized by two key cognitive affective elements.
- CBT belongs to a family of interventions that are focused on the identification and modification of dysfunctional cognitions in order to modify negative emotions and behaviours.
What is cognitive behavioural therapy?
This may further limit our understanding of the impact of CBT on psychosocial outcomes, given these studies are potentially more likely to evaluate psychosocial outcomes and identify effects on psychosocial outcomes (Mehta et al., 2021; Swan et al., 2020). Overall, these results, and those from other computer-based CBT interventions for substance-use disorders (e.g., Budney et al., 2015; Campbell et al., 2014; Kay-Lambkin, Baker, Lewin, & Carr, 2009), hold great promise for addressing the dissemination and implementation challenges of delivering CBT in clinical practice. From a public health perspective, these programs can broaden access to an evidence-based treatment for the population of individuals with substance-use problems who do not receive care due to limited availability, costs, stigma, concerns about confidentiality, or other reasons (Carroll & Kiluk, 2017). From a scientific perspective, these interventions offer the opportunity to better identify and isolate the essential treatment components that contribute to behavior change, thereby advancing the development of highly concentrated interventions that might one day be tailored according to patient profiles.
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To illustrate this point, the original CBT4CBT program developed and evaluated in our two initial randomized trials (Carroll et al., 2008; Carroll et al., 2014) was provided on a DVD/CD-ROM platform, a virtually obsolete Cognitive Behavioral Therapy technology in today’s world. The amount of time required for careful development of an intervention, evaluation of efficacy, and systematic examination of mechanisms and moderators within well-controlled randomized trials exceeds the typical shelf-life of the technology-based delivery method. Although the field should not seek to ease the scientific burden by relaxing methodological standards for evaluating these interventions, the development of such interventions would benefit from strong collaborations with experts in technology to consider the latest technological advances in product development. Learn about complementary approaches that work alongside cognitive behavioral therapy. Find answers to common questions about cognitive behavioral therapy and how it can support your recovery journey. Traditional group therapies have been found to be an effective supplementary approach when treating substance misuse.
