Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, Vol 39(3), May 2025, 238-253; doi:10.1037/adb0001051
Objective: Although research supports an association between increased alternative reinforcement and decreased substance use, the impact of substance use on changes in reinforcement during posttreatment recovery remains untested. This study tested the effect of abstinence duration and substance use frequency on the trajectories of four reinforcement mechanisms, behavioral activation, reward probability, reward barriers, and valued living, from pre- to 12-month posttreatment. Method: Adults in intensive outpatient substance use disorder treatment (N = 206) completed self-report measures of the four reinforcement constructs and substance use over six timepoints from pre- to 12-month posttreatment. Latent curve models were used to test the association between reinforcement trajectories and abstinence duration and substance use frequency, respectively. Results: Lower substance use frequency was associated with significantly improved behavioral activation, reward probability, and reward barriers across the posttreatment period (ps ps ps