Behavioral Interventions: Effective and Adaptable for the Treatment of Pregnant Cocaine-Dependent Women

Abstract

We examined the effectiveness of behavioral interventions in the treatment of cocaine-dependent pregnant women. The study was carried out in four stages: (1) the unique needs of substance-abusing women were examined to identify effective treatment factors, (2) behavioral interventions found to be effective in other cocaine-dependent populations were identified, (3) strategies from these two elements were combined in an ongoing treatment-study of cocaine-dependent pregnant women (the Pregnancy Project), and (4) outcome data in a group of 35 women who participated in the Pregnancy Project were examined. The rate of retention in treatment was high, as was compliance with prenatal care for those women who remained in treatment. A high rate of compliance with prenatal care was associated with good perinatal outcome. There was a relatively high rate of cocaine abstinence during treatment, at birth, and in the early period following birth of the baby. Many of the patients especially appreciated the individually based, self-empowering aspects of the behavioral counseling interventions. We concluded that behavioral interventions, within a woman-friendly treatment program, are an important treatment option to consider.