Anger Management Group Treatment for Cocaine Dependence: Preliminary Outcomes

Abstract

Cocaine abusers who fail to manage anger appropriately may have greater difficulty achieving and maintaining abstinence. We conducted a pilot study to examine an anger management group treatment in a sample of 59 men and 32 women with a diagnosis of cocaine dependence. Participants attended a 12-week anger management group treatment and background substance abuse treatment. Levels of anger, negative affect, and anger control were measured at baseline, weekly during treatment, and at 3-month posttreatment follow-up. Levels of anger decreased and anger control increased between baseline and the end of treatment. End-of-treatment changes were maintained at follow-up. These findings were not moderated by gender, age, or psychiatric medication use. In the absence of a randomized control group, we cannot make conclusive statements regarding the effectiveness of the anger management group treatment. However, these preliminary findings demonstrate the need for a randomized clinical trial to test the efficacy of the anger management group treatment.

Mental health correlates of anger and violence among individuals entering substance use treatment

“…Evidence in support of this illustrates that anger often precedes and predicts future substance misuse (Eftekhari, Turner, & Larimer, 2004;Kirby, Lamb, Iguchi, Husband, & Platt, 1995) and that anger has been shown to be associated with relapse to substance use after treatment (Litt, Cooney, & Morse, 2000). In response to such evidence, anger management is viewed as an important component of SUD treatment (Fernandez & Scott, 2009;Lin, Mack, Enright, Krahn, & Baskin, 2004;Reilly, Clark, Shopshire, Lewis, & Sorensen, 1994;Reilly & Shopshire, 2000). However, little is known regarding the correlates of anger among this group which may help to inform such treatments.…”

“…Clinical studies have consistently demonstrated elevated levels of anger among individuals in treatment for a variety of substance use disorders (SUDs; Aharonovich, Nguyen, & Nunes, 2001;Grisso, Davis, Vesselinov, Appelbaum, & Monahan, 2000;Reilly & Shopshire, 2000). Substance users report higher levels of state and trait anger, are more likely to express anger towards others, and have less control of their anger compared to norms and community controls (Aharonovich et al, 2001;De Moja & Spielberger, 1997;Tivis, Parsons, & Nixon, 1998).…”

Anger, Hostility, and Aggression as Predictors of Persistent Smoking During Pregnancy

“…Anger management interventions developed for substance-using populations may be particularly effective for low-income persistent pregnant smokers (González-Prendes, 2008;Reilly et al, 2000) and may be more likely to prevent relapse than treatments focused on depression alone.…”

Telemedicine: A Cost-Reducing Means of Delivering Psychotherapy to Rural Combat Veterans with PTSD

“…In the parent study (n = 125), participants were recruited in 10 cohorts and then randomized into either in-person (control) or CVT (experimental) anger management treatment 46 groups. The current study uses post-treatment data from the six cohorts that were conducted on the remote islands of Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii; therefore, the data from the cohorts conducted on Oahu were excluded.…”