Contingency Management for Alcohol Use Disorders

Contingency management (CM) treatments are highly efficacious in improving outcomes of substance abusing patients. However, CM has rarely been applied to individuals with alcohol use disorders, primarily because of technological limitations in monitoring drinking. The Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor (SCRAMx®) is a new technology designed to continuously monitor alcohol consumption 24 hours a day for 7 days per week. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of CM in reducing alcohol use using SCRAMx. In total, 120 alcohol abusing or dependent patients initiating outpatient treatment at community-based clinics will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions: standard care, or standard care plus CM with reinforcement based on results of SCRAMx readings. Compared with standard care, it is expected that CM will result in fewer drinking days and longer durations of continuous non-drinking days.

The systematic reinforcement of desired behaviors and the withholding of reinforcement for undesired behaviors

Inclusion Criteria: age 18 years or older current diagnosis of alcohol use disorder and self report of recent alcohol use pass an informed consent quiz agree to wear a SCRAMx monitor for 12 weeks have a standard SCRAMx compatible phone line in their home or agree to attend the clinic weekly for brief research visits/downloads agree to sign an off-campus property transfer form and return SCRAMx equipment Exclusion Criteria: serious, uncontrolled psychiatric illness in recovery from pathological gambling have an unstable address intend to participate in activities incompatible with SCRAMx over the next 3 months are wearing SCRAMx for legal purposes