The integration of naltrexone and Community Reinforcement Approach in patients with substance use disorders: findings from the Netherlands

The Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA) is a comprehensive cost-effective treatment, which innovatively integrates psychosocial and pharmacological approaches. Nathan Azrin and George Hunt devised CRA in the early seventies and based it on Skinner’s operant learning paradigm. CRA focuses on the replacement of an alternative lifestyle that is more rewarding than a substance using one. Indeed, it has been shown that individuals with substance use disorders reported a reduced level of engagement in pleasant activities as compared to healthy controls, especially on the social domain. Consequently, CRA attempts to…