RT Journal Article
T1 Substance Use Disorder Treatment Outcomes: Methodological Overview of Metrics and Criteria
A1 Narváez Camargo, Marta
A1 Lozano Rojas, Óscar Martín
A1 Mancheño Velasco, Cinta
A1 Verdejo García, Antonio
AB Aim: The heterogeneous metrics and criteria used to assess the effectiveness of substance use disorders treatment hinders cross study comparisons. This review aims to parse such heterogeneity by analysing the operational definitions of variables used to derive metrics and outcome criteria, contributing to the standardisation process. Methods: We conducted a systematic review in PubMed and PsycINFO between January 2000 and October 2023. We included published studies on substance use disorders that featured at least one of seven ‘a priori’ defined variables commonly used to obtain metrics and criteria for treatment effectiveness. The review process and reporting followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines.Results: Were identified three areas that can be used to define metrics and criteria associated with treatment outcome: as ‘substance use’ (abstinence and relapses), ‘treatment process’ (readmission, dropout, retention, and adherence) and ‘general wellbeing’ (quality of life). Operational definitions and metrics and criteria used were overall inconsistent.Conclusions: The establishment of guidelines for evaluation of treatment outcomes is imperative, as heterogeneity is still present in the literature. We recommend that future trials provide outcomes metrics relevant to the identified categories, and that standardisation efforts continue toward harmonised criteria to report and interpret those metrics.
PB Wiley
SN 1049-8931
SN 1557-0657 (electrónico)
YR 2025
FD 2025
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10272/27534
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10272/27534
LA eng
NO Narváez‐Camargo, M., Lozano‐Rojas, O., Mancheño‐Velasco, C., & Verdejo‐García, A. (2025). Substance Use Disorder Treatment Outcomes: Methodological Overview of Metrics and Criteria. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 34(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/mpr.70027
NO This work was supported by grants: ‘COMPARA: Psychiatric Comorbidity in Addictions and Outcomes in Andalusia. Modelización a través de Big Data’, project P20‐00735 of the Andalusian Research, Development, and Innovation Plan, provided by Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (EU) and Junta de Andalucía (Spain), and ‘Evolución de la actividad asistencial y los resultados del tratamiento de pacientes con trastorno por consume de sustancias en Andalucía durante las diferentes fases de la pandemia Covid‐19’, project EXP 2022/08882 by Delegación para el Gobierno del Plan Nacional sobre Drogas (Spain) from the European Union's Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Mechanism. A.V.‐G was funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator Grant (2009464). M.N.‐C was funded by FPU21/04027 provided by Ministerio de Universidades (Spain).
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
RD 31 may 2026