ontingency Management Treatment Reduces Drug Deaths by 41% in Veterans Study

Whilst stimulant-involved overdose deaths continue to climb across developed nations, a groundbreaking study has revealed that a relatively simple treatment approach could be saving thousands of lives if only it were widely available.

New research published in the American Journal of Psychiatry shows that contingency management treatment (a behavioural intervention that rewards people for meeting recovery milestones) reduced the risk of death by 41% amongst veterans with stimulant use disorder. That’s not a marginal improvement. That’s a life-saving intervention hiding in plain sight.

What Is Contingency Management Treatment?

Contingency management (CM) might sound complicated, but the concept is straightforward: reward positive behaviour to encourage more of it.

When someone with substance use disorder provides a negative drug test or participates in treatment activities, they receive tangible rewards like gift cards, vouchers, or social recognition. It’s based on a fundamental principle of human psychology: positive reinforcement works.

Previous research has consistently found contingency management to be effective in treating substance use disorders, with lower dropout rates and improved treatment outcomes. But this new study goes further. It proves that contingency management treatment doesn’t just help people stay in treatment. It keeps them alive. (Source: WRD News)

(Also see:

• Prizes for sobriety: As Washington meth use rises, this treatment is one of few that works
• Contingency Management for Abstinence as a Recovery Tool?
• Advancing Substance Use Disorder Treatments with Cognitive Remediation