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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2017 Jun:77:150-155.
doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2017.02.003. Epub 2017 Feb 21.

Efficacy of motivational enhancement therapy to decrease alcohol and illicit-drug use in pregnant substance users reporting baseline alcohol use

Robin Osterman  1 , Daniel Lewis  2 , Theresa Winhusen  2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Efficacy of motivational enhancement therapy to decrease alcohol and illicit-drug use in pregnant substance users reporting baseline alcohol use

Robin Osterman et al. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2017 Jun.

Abstract

Background: Approximately 35% of pregnant substance users in treatment report alcohol abuse, which increases the risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in their offspring. The present study was a preliminary evaluation of the efficacy of motivational enhancement therapy (MET) in decreasing alcohol use in pregnant women attending substance use treatment.

Methods: Secondary analysis of a trial evaluating the efficacy of MET, relative to treatment as usual (TAU), in improving treatment outcomes in 200 pregnant substance users. The present study included the 41 women (n=27 MET and n=14 TAU) who reported alcohol use in the 28days prior to randomization. Alcohol and illicit-drug use days were assessed with self-report; illicit drug use was assessed with urine drug screens. All measures were obtained weekly for the 4week active study phase and at 1 and 3month follow-ups.

Results: Significant treatment-by-time interaction effects were found for illicit-drug use days during the active (X2=6.89, df=1, p<0.01) and follow-up (X2=8.26, df=1, p<0.01) phases and for alcohol use during the follow-up phase (X2=13.07, df=1, p<0.001), all reflecting a beneficial effect for MET, relative to TAU. All other treatment effects were non-significant.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that MET may be effective in decreasing alcohol and illicit-drug use in pregnant substance users reporting alcohol use. With 2-5% of US births affected by FASD, future research to replicate these findings seems warranted.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov http://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Identifier: NCT00078143.

Keywords: Alcohol use; Drug use; Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders; Motivational enhancement therapy; Pregnant.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Proportion of alcohol use days (A) and illicit-drug use days (B) as a function of treatment group and time
Figure 1
Figure 1
Proportion of alcohol use days (A) and illicit-drug use days (B) as a function of treatment group and time
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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