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Meta-Analysis Critique. The Efficacy of Relapse Prevention on Substance Use Disorders Ashlee Carter 11/7/05. Reference. Irvin, J.E., Bowers, C.A., Dunn, M.E., & Wang, M.C. (1999). Efficacy of Relapse Prevention: A Meta-Analytic Review.
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Meta-Analysis Critique The Efficacy of Relapse Prevention on Substance Use Disorders Ashlee Carter 11/7/05
Reference • Irvin, J.E., Bowers, C.A., Dunn, M.E., & Wang, M.C. (1999). Efficacy of Relapse Prevention: A Meta-Analytic Review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67, 563-570.
Research Domain • Clinical Psychology • Therapeutic Interventions • Substance Use Disorders • Alcohol Use • Cocaine Use • Smoking (Tobacco) • Polysubstance Use
Central Questions • What is the effect of RP on substance use behavior • What is the effect of RP on overall psychosocial adjustment?
Potential Moderating Variables • Class of substance use disorder • Treatment modality • Setting of treatment • Adjunctive use of medication • Outcome measures • Comparative efficacy of RP • Length of posttreatment follow-up
Methods • Study identification: • Computerized databases • Reference lists • Contact prominent researchers to request unpublished data • Inclusion/Exclusion criteria • Result: 26 studies, 70 hypothesis tests, 9,504 participants
Methods • Main effect sizes converted to r • Mini meta-analysis within studies • r transformed to Fisher’s z • Weighted average z score calculated • z converted back to r • Aggregate r across studies • 95% CI calculated • Weighted average r
Results • Overall treatment effect of RP interventions for alcohol use disorders, substance use disorders, and smoking is r = .14 (95% CI = .10 – .17, n = 22). • Overall treatment effect of RP interventions on improving psychosocial adjustment is r = .48 (95% CI = .42 to .53, n = 10).
Results: File drawer bias? • Fail-safe n = 388 (p = 0.05) • Number of undiscovered studies averaging no effect of RP interventions that would be required to reduce the obtained relationship to zero • Conclusion: The main effect is tolerant to future undiscovered null results
Results: Moderator Analysis • Contrast analyses • Z scores • Problems: • Small sample sizes • Differences in effect sizes due to class of substance use disorder • Medication varies
Results: Moderating Variables • 1) More effective in treating alcohol and polysubstance use than smoking or cocaine use. • 2) Equally effective in group and individual formats. • 3) Equally effective in outpatient and inpatient formats. • 4) More effective with adjunctive medication than without. • 5) Reported more effective in studies that used self-report versus biochemically validated self-report measures.
Results: Moderating Variables • 6) Effective when evaluated with pretest-posttest designs and when compared to physician advice; only moderately effective when compared with psychoeducational groups or discussion controls. • 7) Treatment effects were largest when outcomes were assessed immediately following treatment and tended to become smaller as the length of follow-up increased.
Conclusions: Done well • Large sample of studies • Appropriate methods • Weighted averaged r • Mini meta-analysis in z • Methods clearly outlined • Formulas included • Table • Original statistic included • Coding for moderator clearly described
Conclusions: Done well • Dot Plot • General progression of effect size • No gaps Published and unpublished studies • File drawer bias addressed • Statistics consistently presented • Limitations admitted
Conclusions: Questionable? • Study identification method • Publication bias? • Study rigor? • Moderator analyses • Small sample sizes • Adjustment of alpha levels? • Interpretable?