Effectiveness of the adolescent-community reinforcement approach for treating Cannabis use disorder in Iranian adolescents: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

The Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach (A-CRA) is an evidence-based intervention for adolescents with cannabis use disorder (CUD). This study evaluated the effectiveness of A-CRA among Iranian adolescents with CUD. A total of 40 male adolescents aged 15 to 18 (Mean = 15.87, SD = 1.02), diagnosed with CUD, were recruited from child labor welfare educational centers in Tehran through purposive sampling. Participants were randomly assigned to the A-CRA group (n = 20) or Treatment as Usual (TAU) group (n = 20). Assessments were conducted pre-test, post-intervention, and at a three-month follow-up. The results revealed that A-CRA was associated with higher rates of abstinence, reduced frequency of cannabis use, decreased substance-related problems, and lower levels of psychological distress. Additionally, adolescents in the A-CRA group demonstrated improvements in health-promoting lifestyles and more positive mother-adolescent relationships. These findings support the efficacy of A-CRA in addressing multiple dimensions of CUD in Iranian adolescents.

Keywords

• Adolescents
• Substance abuse
• Treatment
• A-CRA
• CUD
• Cannabis