Effects of treatment on delay and probability discounting by participants with crack use disorder

Abstract

Introduction: several studies have shown that individuals with dependence on psychoactive drugs show a steeply delay discounting with monetary rewards in contrast to non-consumers. This finding is clinically useful as a behavioral trait likely to be modified by psychological treatments.

Objective: this study evaluated changes pre-post measures of delay and probability discounting, somatic symptoms, anxiety, depression, psychosis and self-efficacy in participants with crack use disorder severe who received one of two types of psychological treatment.

Method: we worked with ninety two participants, 31 for each treatment and 30 in the control group. We evaluated the three groups so pre-post, the post was held after 40 days for the three groups, and during that time the cocaine users received one of the two forms of treatments, except control who only received post evaluation.

Results: the results showed that the pre-post evaluation with probability and delay discounting procedures did not change in any of the three groups. Suggesting that the discounting is not sensitive to identify short-term changes as result from psychological interventions. In contrast both treatment modalities increased self-efficacy, and reduced symptoms of somatization, anxiety, depression and psychosis. Not a main effect for treatment type was found.

Discussion and conclusions: this study showed the stability of discounting measures with psychological treatment. While other variables they were subject to change due to the treatment, so the clinical utility of the discounting as a variable indicating the success of the intervention should be further explored in future research.