Intensive Quality Assurance of Therapist Adherence to Behavioral Interventions for Adolescent Substance Use Problems

• NCJ Number: 237206
• Journal: Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse Volume: 20 Issue: 4 Dated: September-October 2011 Pages: 289-313
• Author(s): Per Holth; Torbjorn Torsheim; Ashli J. Sheidow; Terje Ogden; Scott W. Henggeler
• Date Published: September 2011
• Length: 25 pages
• Grant Number(s): K23DA015658; R01DA015844
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study investigated whether an intensive quality assurance (IQA) intervention would enhance therapist adherence to contingency management/cognitive-behavioral techniques (CM/CBT).

Abstract

This study was a cross-cultural replication of a study that investigated therapist adherence to behavioral interventions as a result of an intensive quality assurance system which was integrated into Multisystemic Therapy (MST). Thirty-three therapists and 8 supervisors were block randomized to either an Intensive Quality Assurance or a Workshop Only condition. Twenty-one of these therapists treated 41 cannabis-abusing adolescents and their families. Therapist adherence and youth drug screens were collected during a 5-month baseline period prior to the workshop on contingency management and during 12 months post workshop. The results replicated the previous finding that intensive quality assurance enhanced therapist adherence over workshop, to cognitive-behavioral techniques, but not to contingency management. While the clinical impact of such quality assurance remains to be demonstrated, cannabis abstinence increased as a function of time in therapy, and was more likely with stronger adherence to contingency management, but did not differ across quality assurance interventions. (Published Abstract)