Differences in the acceptability of non-abstinence goals by type of drug among American substance abuse clinicians

To assess whether acceptability of non-abstinence outcome goals varied depending on the specific drug a client consumes (alcohol, cannabis, amphetamine, heroin, cocaine, MDMA/ecstasy, polydrug), severity of diagnosis (DSM-IV Abuse vs. Dependence), and finality of outcome goal (intermediate vs. final), we recruited 432 clinicians to complete a web-based questionnaire. More respondents rated non-abstinence acceptable as an intermediate goal for clients diagnosed with alcohol abuse (44%) or cannabis abuse (43%) than for clients diagnosed as abusing the other listed drugs (23 to 31%). Similarly, larger proportions of respondents rated non-abstinence as acceptable as a final goal for clients diagnosed with alcohol abuse (30%) or cannabis abuse (24%) than for clients diagnosed as abusing the other drugs (11 to 13%). Only 9 to 13% of respondents rated non-abstinence as an acceptable final goal for clients diagnosed with dependence, but 20% to 30% rated non-abstinence as acceptable as an intermediate goal for clients diagnosed as dependent.