Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA)
Problems addressed
Alcohol abuse
Socioeconomic vulnerability
Effectiveness

Promising

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Promising

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Life periods served
Adults (18 to 59 years)
Where the program was applied
Community (streets or community centers)
Country of application
United States
Description

This is a cognitive behavioral program for the treatment of substance use problems. The program addresses substance use problems by taking into account the environmental contingencies that affect and influence the patient’s behavior for 12 to 16 weeks.
The intervention consists of a user assessment procedure, an analysis of the motivations that lead to consumption, as well as the motivations that lead to refraining from consuming Following that, the treatment process is carried out through the following steps:
1) Sobriety goal;
2) Administration of medication;
3) Cognitive behavioral training;
4) Social, marital, and employability counseling;
5) Relapse prevention.

Impact evaluations

Impact evaluation studies showed a statistically significant reduction in alcohol consumption, as well as a lower likelihood of relapsing and of remaining unemployed, away from home, or in rehabilitation clinics [1] [2].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Hunt, G. M. & Azrin, N. H. (1973). A community-reinforcement approach to alcoholism. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 11(1), 91–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(73)90072-7

[2] Azrin, N. H., Sisson, R. W., Meyers, R. & Godley, M. (1982). Alcoholism treatment by disulfiram and community reinforcement therapy. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 13(2), 105–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7916(82)90050-7

Information source