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Computers may aid drug abuse treatment

People in treatment for drug abuse may be more likely to succeed with the help of computer-based behavioral therapy, a pilot study suggests.

In a study of 77 adults being treated for drug and alcohol dependence, Yale University researchers found that those given computer-based lessons in how to change their behavior in addition to standard therapy tended to fare better than those given standard therapy alone.

On average, the group that received computer-based therapy failed fewer drug tests and stayed abstinent slightly longer during the eight-week study.

The findings suggest that specially designed computer programs can help bolster traditional, face-to-face drug counseling, according to the researchers.

The study included men and women being treated at an outpatient clinic for dependence on alcohol, marijuana, cocaine or opiates like heroin. All of the patients were offered standard therapy, which included individual and group counseling sessions. Half were randomly assigned to have access to the computer-based therapy as well.

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