Treatment-as-Usual in the Methamphetamine Treatment Project

Abstract

The Methamphetamine Treatment Project is a multisite trial that compares the effectiveness of eight models of outpatient treatment for methamphetamine dependence to that of the Matrix model. These eight "treatment-as-usual" models represent diverse approaches developed in a variety of settings to serve markedly different populations. The theoretical foundations of these treatments are described as well as the settings in which they are delivered. To facilitate comparisons, details are presented with respect to frequency of group and individual sessions, duration of treatment, therapist qualifications, and access to ancillary services. The populations served by these programs vary with respect to race and ethnicity. Most programs serve primarily non-Hispanic Caucasians, but some programs serve significant proportions of Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans. Usual route of administration of methamphetamine also varies by site, with snorting, smoking, and injecting each reported as the most common route of administration at one or more sites. The Minnesota model and cognitive-behavioral approaches are most commonly used in these programs, although contingency management and psychodynamic approaches are also represented. The intensive phase of treatment ranges between four and 24 weeks; the number of hours per week of client contact varies between one and 13. This trial will provide the opportunity to test the effectiveness of a wide range of treatments currently in use in community settings.

Health-related quality of life trajectories of methamphetamine-dependent individuals as a function of treatment completion and continued care over a 1-year period

“…The model operates as an outpatient program using a 16-week psychosocial platform with group therapy sessions, family education, 12-step meetings, and routine urine testing (Obert, McCann, Brethen, Marinelli-Casey, & Rawson, 2000). The TAU intervention is composed of eight diverse outpatient cognitive-behavioral treatment approaches, ranging from individual or group-based counseling sessions using different intensities (i.e., once per week vs. thrice weekly) and lasting between 8 and 16 weeks (Galloway et al, 2000).…”

Strategies to encourage adoption in multisite clinical trials

“…The MTP's procedures and comparison conditions were reported by Huber et al (2000) and Galloway et al (2000). Results showed better treatment attendance as well as retention and fewer methamphetamine-positive urinalysis findings during treatment but no difference between groups at treatment discharge or at the 6-month follow-up (Rawson et al, 2004).…”

The Clinical Characteristics of Adolescents Reporting Methamphetamine as Their Primary Drug of Choice: An Examination of Youth Admitted to Inpatient Substance-Abuse Treatment in Northern British Columbia, Canada, 2001–2005

“…At this time, the lack of methamphetamine-specific inpatient or outpatient substance-abuse programs for adolescents should not stand as a barrier to treatment. While it is possible that future methamphetamine-specific treatment programs may produce relatively greater improvements for adolescent methamphetamine users, especially as more becomes known about the clinical detriments of methamphetamine abuse and dependence, researchers have not yet demonstrated that methamphetamine-specific treatment approaches produce superior post-treatment improvement in comparison to a range of standard treatment-as-usual protocols [9,10].…”