Contingency management among homeless, out-of-treatment men who have sex with men

Reback, Cathy J.; Peck, James A.; Dierst-Davies, Rhodri; Nuno, Miriam; Kamien, Jonathan B.; Amass, Leslie

doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2010.06.007

« Previous Next »Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
Volume 39, Issue 3 , Pages 255-263, October 2010

Contingency management among homeless, out-of-treatment men who have sex with men

Cathy J. Reback, Ph.D.
- Friends Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA
- University of California, Los Angeles, Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA
- Corresponding author. Friends Research Institute, Inc., 1419 N. La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA. Tel.: +1 323 463 1601; fax: +1 323 463 0126.
James A. Peck, Psy.D.
- Friends Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA
- University of California, Los Angeles, Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA
Rhodri Dierst-Davies, M.P.H.
- Friends Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA
Miriam Nuno, Ph.D.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA
Jonathan B. Kamien, Ph.D.
- Friends Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA
Leslie Amass, Ph.D.
- Friends Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA

Received 10 February 2010; received in revised form 28 May 2010; accepted 14 June 2010. published online 30 July 2010.

Abstract

Homeless men who have sex with men are a particularly vulnerable population with high rates of substance dependence, psychiatric disorders, and HIV prevalence. Most need strong incentives to engage with community-based prevention and treatment programs. Contingency management (CM) was implemented in a community HIV prevention setting and targeted reduced substance use and increased health-promoting behaviors over a 24-week intervention period. Participants in the CM condition achieved greater reductions in stimulant and alcohol use (χ² = 27.36, p < .01) and, in particular, methamphetamine use (χ² = 21.78, p < .01) and greater increases in health-promoting behaviors (χ² = 37.83, p < .01) during the intervention period than those in the control group. Reductions in substance use were maintained to 9- and 12-month follow-up evaluations. Findings indicate the utility of CM for this high-risk population and the feasibility of implementing the intervention in a community-based HIV prevention program.

Keywords: Contingency management, Out-of-treatment, Methamphetamine, Homeless, Men who have sex with men (MSM)