Is exposure to an effective contingency management intervention associated with more positive provider beliefs?

The ASAM/AAAP Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Stimulant Use Disorder

The American Society of Addiction Medicine/American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (ASAM/AAAP) Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Stimulant Use Disorder provides guidance on evidence-based strategies for the treatment of stimulant use disorders (StUDs), stimulant intoxication, and stimulant withdrawal, as well as secondary and tertiary prevention of harms associated with stimulant use. The Clinical Guideline Committee (CGC) comprised experts from ASAM and AAAP representing a range of clinical settings and patient populations. The guideline was developed following modified GRADE methodology. The process included a systematic literature review as well as several targeted supplemental searches. The CGC utilized Evidence to Decision tables to review available evidence and rate the strength of each recommendation. The clinical practice guideline was revised based on external stakeholder review. Key takeaways included: Contingency management represents the current standard of care for treatment of StUDs; Pharmacotherapies may be utilized off-label to treat StUDs; Acute stimulant intoxication can result in life-threatening complications that should be addressed in an appropriate level of care; Secondary and tertiary prevention strategies should be used to reduce harms related to risky stimulant use.

Dissemination of Contingency Management for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder

Contingency management is an intervention for substance use disorders based on operant principles. The evidence base in support of contingency management is massive. It is effective in treating substance use disorder in general and opioid use disorder in particular. Dissemination has remained slow despite the urgency created by the opioid epidemic. Key barriers include a lack of expertise, time, and money. Implementing contingency management with smartphones eliminates the need for special training. It also solves logistical issues and requires little time on the part of clinicians. Thus, remaining barriers relate to cost. Federal anti-kickback regulations complicate solutions to the cost barrier. Other important regulatory challenges related to cost include the lack of billing codes and the difficulty of obtaining FDA approval for digital therapeutics. Even after the cost barrier is overcome, provider adoption is not guaranteed. Incentivizing providers for collaborative care may increase adoption and generate referrals. Recently proposed legislation and governmental policy statements provide optimism regarding the near-term large-scale adoption of contingency management in the treatment of opioid use disorder.

Client Views of Contingency Management in Gambling Treatment: A Thematic Analysis

Low levels of treatment access and poor retention among those with gambling problems suggests a need to improve treatment. Contingency management (CM) is a behavioural intervention involving the identification of target behaviours and the provision of incentives when targets are met. There exists a substantial evidence base for CM increasing abstinence and attendance in substance misuse treatment, but this has not been widely extended to gambling treatment setting. This study sought to explore the views of clients about CM for the treatment of problematic and disordered gambling. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 gambling treatment clients who were, or had previously been, engaged in treatment in Great Britain. Participants were provided with an explanation of CM, two hypothetical scenarios, and two structured questionnaires to facilitate discussion. Thematic analysis was used to interpret findings. Some participants felt that clients could manipulate CM while in treatment to obtain money to gamble, and that mechanisms of CM could trigger recovering clients into relapse. Participants also identified potential benefits of CM to achieve treatment goals, by enhancing motivation and engagement while in treatment, and helping bring people into treatment earlier. Gambling treatment clients broadly supported the use of incentives for treatment. CM is seen as a facilitator of extended engagement in treatment, and an encouragement for clients to make progress in the treatment process.

Remotely administered incentive-based treatment for alcohol use disorder with participant-funded incentives is effective but less accessible to low-income participants

The delivery of monetary incentives contingent on verified abstinence is an effective treatment for alcohol use disorder. However, incentive cost has often been cited as a barrier to delivering this type of treatment. In the present randomized parallel groups trial, we systematically replicated a previous trial we conducted that employed remote alcohol monitoring and incentive delivery to promote abstinence from alcohol, but with the additional requirement for participants to partially self-fund their abstinence incentives. Treatment-seeking participants with alcohol use disorder (n = 92) who met inclusion criteria (n = 36) were randomized to either a Contingent or Noncontingent group (n = 18 each). Those not meeting inclusion criteria included 15 participants who agreed to the deposit requirement but failed to make the deposit payment. The Contingent group received nearly immediate monetary incentives each day they remotely provided negative breathalyzer samples. The Noncontingent group received matched incentives each day they successfully provided samples independent of alcohol content. Days abstinent in the Contingent group were 86%, which was significantly higher than the 44% recorded in the Noncontingent group, corresponding to an odds ratio of 8.2. Exploratory analyses revealed that the deposit requirement prevented participation in those with lower incomes and those with greater alcohol use. These results support the efficacy of this remotely deliverable alcohol abstinence reinforcement incentive intervention with a deposit requirement. However, the requirement to provide a monetary deposit to self-fund abstinence incentives may prevent those with greater alcohol use and/or those experiencing extreme poverty from participating in the intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Beliefs related to health care incentives: Comparison of substance use disorder treatment providers, medical treatment providers, and a public sample

This study surveyed substance use disorder (SUD) treatment providers, medical treatment providers, and a public sample about beliefs regarding health care incentives to explore differences among the groups and across health disorders for which research has demonstrated incentives improve outcomes. Six hundred participants (n = 200/group) completed the Provider Survey of Incentives. The study found between group differences for positive and negative beliefs. The public sample was highest on the positive beliefs subscale (M = 3.81), followed by SUD (M = 3.63) and medical treatment providers (M = 3.48; F(2, 597) = 20.09, p < .001). The medical treatment providers were highest on the negative beliefs subscale (M = 2.91), compared to the public sample (M = 2.77) and SUD treatment providers (M = 2.65; F(2, 597) = 7.521, p < .001). Endorsement of incentives to treat medical disorders was similar across the groups, with obesity the most endorsed disorder. In contrast, endorsement of incentives to treat SUDs differed across groups, except for smoking. The SUD treatment providers were almost twice as likely as the public sample (OR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.27-2.59) and the public sample almost twice as likely as the medical treatment providers (OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.24-2.47) to endorse the use of incentives to treat more SUDs. Medical treatment providers were also the least likely to endorse incentives to treat both legal and illicit substance use. These findings suggest that incentive programs have good acceptability among SUD treatment providers and the public, but medical treatment providers are less accepting of incentive programs. This study provides evidence that incentive-based interventions are acceptable to the public and is the first to document specific objections that individuals disseminating incentive interventions will most likely face when introducing them in medical settings.

A Novel Adaptation of Peer Health Navigation and Contingency Management for Advancement Along the HIV Care Continuum Among Transgender Women of Color

Transgender women, particularly racial/ethnic minority transgender women, evidence disproportionately high rates of untreated HIV infection and disproportionately low rates of HIV viral suppression. The Alexis Project was a combined peer health navigation (PHN) and contingency management (CM) intervention that targeted HIV milestones associated with advancement along the HIV care continuum. From February 2014 through August 2016, 139 transgender women of color (TWOC) enrolled and received unlimited PHN sessions and an escalating CM rewards schedule for confirmed achievement of both behavioral (e.g., HIV care visits) and biomedical (e.g., viral load reductions and achieved/sustained viral suppression) HIV milestones. Results demonstrated that increased attendance to PHN sessions was associated with significant achievement of both behavioral (coef. range 0.12-0.38) and biomedical (coef. = 0.10) HIV milestones (all p ≤ 0.01); 85% were linked to HIV care, and 83% who enrolled detectable and achieved the minimum 1 log viral load reduction advanced to full viral suppression. The combined PHN and CM intervention successfully promoted advancement along the HIV Care Continuum, with particularly robust effects for behavioral HIV milestones.

Patients' beliefs towards contingency management: Target behaviours, incentives and the remote application of these interventions

INTRODUCTION

Contingency management interventions are among the most efficacious psychosocial interventions in promoting abstinence from smoking, alcohol and substance use. The aim of this study was to assess the beliefs and objections towards contingency management among patients in UK-based drug and alcohol services to help understand barriers to uptake and support the development and implementation of these interventions.

METHODS

The Service User Survey of Incentives was developed and implemented among patients (N = 181) at three UK-based drug and alcohol treatment services. Descriptive analyses were conducted to ascertain positive and negative beliefs about contingency management, acceptability of different target behaviours, incentives and delivery mechanisms including delivering incentives remotely using technology devices such as mobile telephones.

RESULTS

Overall, 81% of participants were in favour of incentive programs, with more than 70% of respondents agreeing with the majority of positive belief statements. With the exception of two survey items, less than a third of participants agreed with negative belief statements. The proportion of participants indicating a neutral response was higher for negative statements (27%) indicating greater levels of ambiguity towards objections and concerns regarding contingency management.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Positive beliefs towards contingency management interventions were found, including high levels of acceptability towards a range of target behaviours, incentives and the use of technology devices to remotely monitor behaviour and deliver incentives. These findings have implications for the development and implementation of remote contingency management interventions within the UK drug treatment services.

Acceptability and willingness to pay for contingency management interventions among parents of young adults with problematic opioid use

BACKGROUND

There is a need for new research addressing the cost prohibitive nature of maintaining contingency management (CM) in community settings. While researchers propose managed care as an option to support costs, there is no research on self-pay models. To inform such research, it is important first to understand client willingness to pay for CM services. We examine acceptability and willingness to pay for CM services among parents with and without young adult children with problematic opioid use.

METHODS

A web-based survey was administered to a sample of parents of adult children ages 18-35 with (target sample) and without (comparison sample) a history of problematic opiate use.

RESULTS

One hundred thirty parents participated (n_target = 30; n_comparison = 100) and were predominately white, college educated, and of higher income. Findings showed a high proportion of participants had positive opinions of using incentives for substance use treatment and would consider incentive-based treatments for their child. Most participants reported they would be willing to pay for CM at levels consistent with amounts used in efficacious programs but expressed worry that incentives would be used to buy drugs. Most participants reported this worry would be eased if incentives were delivered via reloadable gift cards and if incentives were only delivered during periods of abstinence.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to examine parent perceptions of incentives and acceptability and willingness to pay for CM services. Results suggest self-pay models for disseminating CM to young adults with problematic opioid use may be an option.

Assessing the Use and Impact of Points and Rewards across Four Federal Probation Districts: A Contingency Management Approach

Contingency management (CM) is a well-acknowledged behavioral approach for incentivizing changes in behavior and attitudes. A version of CM was piloted in four federal probation districts to determine whether systematically awarding points and rewards for key behaviors could be implemented and impact recidivism rates. A case controlled match design was conducted with a CM sample (referred to as Justice Steps (JSTEPS)) (n=128) who were individually matched to a comparison sample (n=128) on six variables related to recidivism. Analyses compared the number of technical violations and new arrests between JSTEPS participants and a historical comparison sample. Using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, results indicate JSTEPS sites using early CM rewarding strategies tend have delayed recidivism than others. A research agenda is outlined.

Crack cocaine users views regarding treatment with contingency management in Brazil

BACKGROUND

Contingency management (CM) has recently shown efficacy in promoting abstinence and retention in treatment among crack cocaine users in Brazil. However, partially because of unawareness and resistance among health care providers, CM has not been widely employed. The objective of this study was to conduct a secondary analysis in order to evaluate how CM participants perceive their treatment experience.

METHODS

Twenty-seven crack cocaine users, previously assigned to 12 weeks of CM treatment, were assessed with a structured questionnaire designed to assess their personal opinion of, difficulty in understanding, and acceptance of the CM intervention, as well as their opinion regarding its impact on their treatment responses.

RESULTS

Descriptive analyses showed that 92.6% of the participants found it very easy to understand the CM protocol. All participants reported liking their CM experience quite a bit. For the perceived effects of CM on their treatment response, 81.5% of the participants stated that CM helped them considerably, the mean score for the impact of CM on treatment response (out of a maximum of 10) being 9 (SD = 1.5). When asked if they believed CM could help other people with crack cocaine dependence, 92.6% of the participants stated that CM could help such people a lot and 7.4% stated that it could help them a little.

CONCLUSIONS

From the perspective of the patients, CM was easily assimilated, easily accepted, and had a direct positive effect on treatment response. These findings provide additional support for the incorporation of CM into substance abuse treatment services in Brazil.

Incentivizing attendance to prolonged exposure for PTSD with opioid use disorder patients: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether contingent monetary incentives increase opioid use disorder patients' attendance to Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy and whether attendance is associated with improvement in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD) outcomes.

METHOD

Patients (N = 58) with PTSD were offered PE or PE with incentives (PE + I; max $480) to attend PE sessions. Participants were assessed at baseline and weeks 6, 12, and 24 postrandomization.

RESULTS

Participants were mostly women (79%) and Caucasian (71%); mean age 37.43 years (SD = 11.33). PE + I participants attended a median of 9 (of 12) sessions compared to 1 session for PE participants (p < .001), which included more exposure sessions (PE + I mdn = 6; PE mdn = 0; p < .001). A Time × treatment condition interaction indicated that PE + I participants exhibited a greater decrease in PTSD severity over time than PE participants (OR = 3.1; 95% CI = 0.4-5.7; p = .024). PE + I participants remained in substance use treatment longer than PE participants (mdn days = 262 vs. 192; p = .039). There were no group differences in drug use.

CONCLUSIONS

Monetary incentives increased SUD patients' attendance to an otherwise poorly attended treatment for PTSD. Better attendance in the incentivized group was associated with greater PTSD improvement, better SUD treatment retention, and no increased drug use. Incentives are well supported for improving adherence to substance use treatment goals and promising as a means to improve therapy attendance, which may improve the effectiveness of existing psychotherapies in difficult-to-treat populations. (PsycINFO Database Record

Contingency Management: New Directions and Remaining Challenges for An Evidence-Based Intervention

This article introduces the special issue on contingency management (CM), an efficacious intervention for the treatment of substance use disorders with low uptake in clinical settings that is not commensurate with evidence for efficacy. In this special issue of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, we present 16 articles representing the latest research in efficacy, implementation, and technological advances related to CM. Combined, this collection of articles highlights the diverse populations, settings, and applications of CM in the treatment of substance use disorders. We conclude by highlighting directions for future research, particularly those that may increase CM's appeal and uptake in routine clinical care.

Contingency Management Approaches for Adolescent Substance Use Disorders

Multiple interventions for treating adolescents with substance use disorders have demonstrated efficacy, but a majority of teens do not show an enduring positive response to these treatments. Contingency management (CM)-based strategies provide a promising alternative, and clinical research focused on the development and testing of innovative CM models continues to grow. This article provides an updated review on the progress made in this area. It is important to continue to search for more effective models, focus on post-treatment maintenance (reduce relapse), and strive for high levels of integrity and fidelity during dissemination efforts to optimize outcomes.

Cost-effectiveness of a voucher-based intervention for smoking cessation

BACKGROUND

Contingency management (CM) has been shown to be effective in reducing smoking consumption, but has traditionally been criticized for its costs.

OBJECTIVES

This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of using a voucher-based CM protocol added to a cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) for smoking cessation among treatment-seeking patients from the general population.

METHODS

A total of 92 patients were randomly assigned to CBT or CBT plus CM for abstinence. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated by dividing the increase in costs by the increase in effects (continuous abstinence, longest duration of abstinence at 6-month follow-up and cotinine results during the treatment). An acceptability curve illustrated the statistical uncertainty surrounding the cost-effectiveness estimate. We also determined the optimum cost per participant for predicting the smoking status at 6-month follow-up.

RESULTS

The average cost per participant in the CBT condition was €138.73 (US$ 150.23) as opposed to €411.61 (US$ 445.73) in the CBT plus CM condition (p < 0.01). The incremental cost of using voucher-based CM to increase the number of participants that maintained abstinence at 6-month follow-up by one extra participant was €68.22 (US$ 73.88), and to lengthen the longest duration of abstinence by 1 week was €53.92 (US$ 58.39). The incremental cost to obtain an extra cotinine-negative result was €181.90 (US$ 196.98).

CONCLUSION

Compared with CBT alone, the voucher-based protocol required additional costs but achieved significantly better outcomes. These results will allow stakeholders to make policy decisions about CM implementation for smoking cessation in the broader community.

Clinician-delivered contingency management increases engagement and attendance in drug and alcohol treatment

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the impact of a low-cost contingency management (CM) delivered by program clinicians on treatment attendance and utilization for patients enrolled in outpatient psychosocial substance abuse treatment.

METHODS

The study used a pre-posttest design to compare substance abuse patients who received Reinforcement-Based Treatment (RBT) plus low cost CM (n=130; RBT+CM) to patients who received RBT only (n=132, RBT). RBT+CM participants received a $10 incentive for returning to treatment the day following intake assessment (day one), and a $15 incentive for attending treatment on day five following admission. RBT clients received standard care intervention without the addition of the CM procedures. Groups were compared on proportion of participants who returned to treatment on day one, mean days of treatment attendance, individual sessions attended, and treatment utilization during the first week and the first month following treatment admission.

RESULTS

Both the RBT+CM and RBT group participants returned to the clinic on day one at high rates (95% versus 89%, respectively). However, the RBT group participants were more likely to attend the intake assessment only (i.e., never return to treatment) compared to the RBT+CM participants. Additionally, the RBT+CM participants attended significantly more treatment days, attended more individual counseling sessions, and had higher rates of overall treatment utilization compared to the RBT participants during the one week and one month following treatment admission.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings support the feasibility and effectiveness of a CM intervention delivered by clinicians for increasing treatment attendance and utilization in a community substance abuse program.

Counselor Attitudes Toward Contingency Management for Substance Use Disorder: Effectiveness, Acceptability, and Endorsement of Incentives for Treatment Attendance and Abstinence

Despite research demonstrating its effectiveness, use of contingency management (CM) in substance use disorder treatment has been limited. Given the vital role that counselors play as arbiters in the use of therapies, examination of their attitudes can provide insight into how further use of CM might be effectively promoted. In this paper, we examine 731 counselors' attitudes toward the effectiveness and acceptability of CM in treatment, as well as their specific attitudes toward both unspecified and tangible incentives for treatment attendance and abstinence. Compared to cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and community reinforcement approach, counselors rated CM as the least effective and least acceptable psychosocial intervention. Exposure through the use of CM in a counselor's employing organization was positively associated with perceptions of acceptability, agreement that incentives have a positive effect on the client-counselor relationship, and endorsement of tangible incentives for abstinence. Endorsement of tangible incentives for treatment attendance was significantly greater among counselors with more years in the treatment field, and counselors who held at least a master's degree. Counselors' adaptability or openness to innovations was also positively associated with attitudes toward CM. Further, female counselors and counselors with a greater 12-step philosophy were less likely to endorse the use of incentives. A highlight of our study is that it offers the first specific assessment of the impact of "Promoting Awareness of Motivational Incentives" (PAMI), a Web-based tool based on findings of CM protocols tested within the Clinical Trials Network (CTN), on counselors employed outside the CTN. We found that 10% of counselors had accessed PAMI, and those who had accessed PAMI were more likely to report a higher degree of perceived effectiveness of CM than those who had not. This study lays the groundwork for vital research on the impact of multiple Web-based educational strategies. Given the barriers to CM adoption, identifying predictors of positive attitudes among counselors can help diffuse CM into routine clinical practice.

Nationwide dissemination of contingency management: the Veterans Administration initiative

BACKGROUND

Contingency management (CM) is an empirically validated intervention but one not often applied in practice settings in the US.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this article is to describe the Veterans Administration (VA) nationwide implementation of CM treatment.

METHODS

In 2011, the VA called for integration of CM in its intensive outpatient substance abuse treatment clinics. As part of this initiative, the VA funded training and ongoing implementation support, and it provided direct funds for reinforcers and other intervention costs.

RESULTS

Over 100 clinics received this funding in 2011, and CM has been implemented in over 70 substance abuse treatment clinics since August 2011.

CONCLUSIONS

This training and implementation experience has been highly successful and represents the largest scale training in evidence-based treatments for substance use disorders in the VA health care system to date.

SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE

This program may serve as a model for training in evidence-based treatments.

Lost in translation? Moving contingency management and cognitive behavioral therapy into clinical practice

In the treatment of addictions, the gap between the availability of evidence-based therapies and their limited implementation in practice has not yet been bridged. Two empirically validated behavioral therapies, contingency management (CM) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exemplify this challenge. Both have a relatively strong level of empirical support but each has weak and uneven adoption in clinical practice. This review highlights examples of how barriers to their implementation in practice have been addressed systematically, using the Stage Model of Behavioral Therapies Development as an organizing framework. For CM, barriers such as cost and ideology have been addressed through the development of lower-cost and other adaptations to make it more community friendly. For CBT, barriers such as relative complexity, lack of trained providers, and need for supervision have been addressed via conversion to standardized computer-assisted versions that can serve as clinician extenders. Although these and other modifications have rendered both interventions more disseminable, diffusion of innovation remains a complex, often unpredictable process. The existing specialty addiction-treatment system may require significant reforms to fully implement CBT and CM, particularly greater focus on definable treatment goals and performance-based outcomes.

An implementation-focused process evaluation of an incentive intervention effectiveness trial in substance use disorders clinics at two Veterans Health Administration medical centers

Background

One of the pressing concerns in health care today is the slow rate at which promising interventions, supported by research evidence, move into clinical practice. One potential way to speed this process is to conduct hybrid studies that simultaneously combine the collection of effectiveness and implementation relevant data. This paper presents implementation relevant data collected during a randomized effectiveness trial of an abstinence incentive intervention conducted in substance use disorders treatment clinics at two Veterans Health Administration (VHA) medical centers.

Methods

Participants included patients entering substance use disorders treatment with diagnoses of alcohol dependence and/or stimulant dependence that enrolled in the randomized trial, were assigned to the intervention arm, and completed a post intervention survey (n = 147). All staff and leadership from the participating clinics were eligible to participate. A descriptive process evaluation was used, focused on participant perceptions and contextual/feasibility issues. Data collection was guided by the RE-AIM and PARIHS implementation frameworks. Data collection methods included chart review, intervention cost tracking, patient and staff surveys, and qualitative interviews with staff and administrators.

Results

Results indicated that patients, staff and administrators held generally positive attitudes toward the incentive intervention. However, staff and administrators identified substantial barriers to routine implementation. Despite the documented low cost and modest staff time required for implementation of the intervention, securing funding for the incentives and freeing up any staff time for intervention administration were identified as primary barriers.

Conclusions

Recommendations to facilitate implementation are presented. Recommendations include: 1) solicit explicit support from the highest levels of the organization through, for example, performance measures or clinical practice guideline recommendations; 2) adopt the intervention incrementally starting within a specific treatment track or clinic to reduce staff and funding burden until local evidence of effectiveness and feasibility is available to support spread; and 3) educate staff about the process, goals, and value/effectiveness of the intervention and engage them in implementation planning from the start to enhance investment in the intervention.

Randomized clinical trial examining duration of voucher-based reinforcement therapy for cocaine abstinence

BACKGROUND

This is the first study to systematically manipulate duration of voucher-based reinforcement therapy (VBRT) to see if extending the duration increases abstinence during and following VBRT.

METHODS

We randomized cocaine-dependent methadone-maintained adults to Standard (12 weeks; n=62) or Extended (36 weeks; n=68) VBRT and provided escalating voucher amounts contingent upon urinalysis verification of cocaine abstinence. Urinalysis was scheduled at least every 2 weeks during the 48-week study and more frequently during VBRT (3/week) and 12 weeks of Aftercare (2/week).

RESULTS

Extended VBRT produced longer durations of continuous cocaine abstinence during weeks 1-24 (5.7 vs 2.7 weeks; p=0.003) and proportionally more abstinence during weeks 24-36 (X(2)=4.57, p=.03, OR=2.18) compared to Standard VBRT. Duration of VBRT did not directly predict after-VBRT abstinence; but longer continuous abstinence during VBRT predicted abstinence during Aftercare (p=0.001) and during the last 12 weeks of the study (p<0.001). Extended VBRT averaged higher monthly voucher costs compared to Standard VBRT ($96 vs $43, p<.001); however, the average cost per week of abstinence attained was higher in the Standard group ($8.06 vs $5.88, p<.001). Participants in the Extended group with voucher costs exceeding $25 monthly averaged 20 weeks of continuous abstinence.

CONCLUSIONS

Greater abstinence occurred during Extended VBRT, but providing a longer duration was not by itself sufficient to maintain abstinence after VBRT. However, if abstinence can be captured and sustained during VBRT, then providing longer durations may help increase the continuous abstinence that predicts better long-term outcomes.