- Basic premise: As individuals understand the thoughts and behaviors associated with their substance use and gain skills to modify unwanted behaviors, they are better equipped to identify and cope with triggers for use, manage high risk situations, reinforce behaviors that align with their recovery goals, and challenge thoughts that precipitate substance use.
- Essence of therapy: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a transdiagnostic psychosocial treatment that is premised on learning principles. CBT aims to treat substance use disorders (SUD) through targeting behavioral and cognitive processes that underlie one’s substance use. CBT for SUD focuses on intervening upon these processes through increasing awareness of antecedents and consequences of substance use and leveraging behavior change principles to reduce or eliminate substance use through environment and social reinforcement.
- Length: Although the number of sessions and treatment length of CBT for substance use varies widely, standard approaches are delivered over approximately 6-14 sessions.
Other Treatment Resources
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Substance Use Disorders (McHugh, Hearon, & Otto, 2010)
Meta-analyses and Systematic Reviews
- Efficacy of Relapse Prevention: A Meta-Analytic Review (Irvin et al., 1999)
- Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment With Adult Alcohol and Illicit Drug Users: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials (Magill & Ray, 2009)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Meta-Analysis of Race and Substance Use Outcomes (Windsor et al., 2015)
- A Meta-Analysis of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Alcohol or Other Drug Use Disorders: Treatment Efficacy by Contrast Condition (Magill et al., 2019)
Clinical Trials
- Computer-assisted delivery of cognitive-behavioral therapy for addiction: a randomized trial of CBT4CBT (Carroll et al., 2008)
- Network Support II: Randomized controlled trial of Network Support treatment and cognitive behavioral therapy for alcohol use disorder (Litt et al., 2016)
- Relative efficacy of mindfulness-based relapse prevention, standard relapse prevention, and treatment as usual for substance use disorders: A randomized clinical trial (Bowen et al., 2014)
- Acceptance and commitment therapy versus cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of substance use disorder with incarcerated women. (Lanza et al., 2014)
- Psychosocial treatment for methamphetamine use disorders: A preliminary randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavior therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy (Smout et al., 2010)
- Testing the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral treatment for substance abuse in a community setting: within treatment and posttreatment findings (Morgenstern et al., 2001)
- Cognitive behavioral relapse prevention strategies and aftercare in alcoholism rehabilitation. (Donovan & Ito, 1988)
- Group counseling versus individualized relapse prevention aftercare following intensive outpatient treatment for cocaine dependence: Initial results (McKay et al., 1997)
- Matching Alcoholism Treatments to Client Heterogeneity: Project MATCH posttreatment drinking outcomes (Project MATCH Research Group, 1997)
Video Repository
Smartphone Apps
There are a plethora of smartphone applications, many of which have not been rigorously tested, as described by Tofighi and colleagues in this review: Smartphone Apps Targeting Alcohol and Illicit Substance Use: Systematic Search in in Commercial App Stores and Critical Content Analysis (Tofighi et al., 2019)
Those with the most empirical support and grounding in CBT principles include the following:
- Saying When Developed by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
- Vorvida® Commercial app by Orexo
- A-CHESS Developed by CHESS Health
- Checkup and Choices web-based program with applications
- reSET (prescription digital therapeutic) by Pear Therapeutics
Measures, Handouts and Worksheets
- A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach: Treating Cocaine Addiction (Carroll et al., 1998)
- A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Program for Overcoming Alcohol Problems: Therapist Guide Forms and Worksheets (Epstein & McCrady, 2009)
- SMART Recovery Toolbox (SMART Recovery International, 2022)
Training Materials and Workshops
- Relapse Prevention: An Overview of Marlatt’s Cognitive-Behavioral Model (Larimer, Palmer, & Marlatt, 1999)
- Clinical Guidelines for Implementing Relapse Prevention Training (Marlatt, Parks, and Witkiewitz, 2002)
- What To Do If CBT Isn’t Working (Liese, 2020)
- Group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Substance Use Disorders and Addictive Behaviors (Liese, 2017)
- CBT: It’s Not What You Think (Liese, 2016)
Treatment Manuals
- A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach: Treating Cocaine Addiction (Carroll et al., 1998)
- Cognitive-Behavioral Coping Skills Therapy Manual: A Clinical Research Guide for Therapists Treating Individuals with Alcohol Abuse and Dependence (Kadden et al., 2003)
Related Diagnosis
Substance and Alcohol Use Disorders
EST Status
N/A
2015 EST Status
Strong
2015 EST Report Link
1998 EST Status
N/A