Integrating addiction pharmacotherapy and motivational work

(from the chapter) Modern psychiatry aims to conceptualize and treat patients following the biopsychosocial model, which translates into artfully combining psychopharmacology and psychotherapy. In many instances, research has shown that combining the two modalities of treatment may be more efficient than using either modality by itself, yet specific data to assess how different types of psychotherapy interact with specific medications are still lacking (Gabbard 2006). Hollon and Fawcett (2007) theorized that combining psychopharmacology with psychotherapy might be beneficial in four ways: increasing the probability, the magnitude, the breadth of the response, and the acceptability of treatment. The question remains how to combine these approaches for an optimal response. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) (chapter)