This study examined the effectiveness of contingency management (CM) techniques in treating substance use disorders (i.e., illicit drugs, alcohol, tobacco).
The mean effect size (ES) of CM was positive, with a magnitude of d = 0.42 using a fixed effects model. The magnitude of the ES declined over time, following treatment. CM was more effective in treating opiate use (d =0.65) and cocaine use (d = 0.66), compared with tobacco (d 31) or multiple drugs (d = 0.42). Larger effect sizes were associated with higher researcher involvement, earlier studies, and shorter treatment duration. Study findings suggest that CM is among the more effective approaches to promoting abstinence during the treatment of substance use disorders. CM improves the ability of clients to remain abstinent, thereby allowing them to take fuller advantage of other clinical treatment components. (Published abstract provided)