Objective: Contingency management (CM) is efficacious in reducing drug use. Typically, reinforcers are provided on an individual basis to patients for submitting drug-negative samples. However, most treatment is provided in a group context, and poor attendance is a substantial concern. This study evaluated whether adding CM to group-based…

Objective: The effects of cognitive-behavioral relapse prevention (RP), contingency management (CM), and their combination (CM + RP) were evaluated in a randomized trial with 100 cocaine-dependent patients (58% female, 89% African American) who were engaged in treatment for at least 2 weeks and had an average of 44 days of abstinence at baseline.…

Relatively little is known about the long-term durability of group treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and contemporary cognitive treatments. The current study investigated the 2-year follow-up results for participants who completed randomized trials of group or individual treatment and received either cognitive therapy (CT) or…

Focuses on validity of measures of service delivery. Examines claims relating to benefits of attending self-help groups on mental health functioning of individuals with depression or manic depression. Discusses questions related to individual patterns of attendance, generalization of intervention's effects, and migration from "home" to other…

Explored relative and combined effectiveness of alprazolam and group cognitive therapy among 56 elderly adults experiencing major affective disorder. Results revealed that individuals assigned to group cognitive therapy showed consistent improvement in subjective state and sleep efficiency relative to non-group-therapy subjects. No differences…

Compared treatment combining graduated exposure to fear-provoking situations and other-focused social skills with graduated exposure alone and with controls in 52 adults suffering from extreme shyness. Subjects receiving combination treatment improved significantly more on measures of community functioning and therapist ratings than did other…

Distressed couples (N=15) were randomly assigned to group, conjoint, or waiting list conditions. Behavioral communication treatment package administered over eight sessions and was evaluated via multidimensional assessments was found to be highly effective modality for resolution of marital dysfunction. Both group and conjoint treatments were…

Results indicate that both types of counseling had a beneficial effect relative to the untreated controls but that the behavioral method resulted in a significantly greater magnitude of improvement. The behavioral technique was the treatment of choice for counseling parents of the retarded. (Author)

Compared relative efficacy of comprehensive group coping skills training and supportive group therapy for enhancing cancer patients' adjustment to their disease. Subjects were 41 cancer patients exhibiting a marked degree of psychosocial distress. Results demonstrated a consistent superiority of coping skills intervention over supportive group…

Assessed whether depressed geriatric patients (N=33) would respond to group psychotherapy and, if they would respond differently to cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic modes. Results indicated that patients showed statistically and clinically significant reductions on observer-rated measures of depression and anxiety, as well as on self-report…

Examined the effects of 2 mg of nicotine polacrilex versus placebo gum and a group behavioral treatment versus minimal contact on cessation of smokeless tobacco use. Participants (n=210) were randomly assigned 1 of the 4 treatment conditions. Withdrawal symptoms were assessed throughout the treatment. Discusses findings. (KW)

Twenty-two mothers participated in a principle-oriented consultation group and then answered a number of questionnaires before and after consultation. Data show that the experimental group differed significantly from the control group on 13 out of 16 variables after consultation. (SE)

Three approaches: hypnosis, counseling, and hypnosis plus counseling were used to help smokers stop smoking. Only the third approach produced a fairly high success rate. (SE)

Used meta-analysis to study the clinical significance of psychotherapy for symptoms of unipolar depression, using the Beck Depression Inventory. Results indicated that psychotherapy produces outcomes of moderate clinical significance which are well-maintained at follow-up, that individual therapy is associated with greater clinical significance…

Analyzed follow-up data for drug abuse treatment study of residential drug treatment program clients (N=89) enrolled in control group or behavior skills training group. Found training group had higher skills than control group 12 months after training. Found, with exceptions of marijuana and amphetamine use, that skill training did not affect…