SynthesisInternational journal of methods in psychiatric research2025
Substance Use Disorder Treatment Outcomes: Methodological Overview of Metrics and Criteria.
Synthesis in International journal of methods in psychiatric research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Evaluating the effectiveness of substance use disorder treatment centers: a systematic review of international standards and outcomes.Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy · 2026Pooled it
- Who leaves satisfied? Exploring individual factors associated with substance use disorder service satisfaction.Journal of substance use and addiction treatment · 2026Article
- Therapeutic prospects of bright light therapy in addictive disorders: a scoping review.Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996) · 2026Article
- County-Level Variation in Substance Use Disorder Service Utilization by Insurance Payers and Self-Pay in the United States.The Journal of clinical psychiatry · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
aimThe 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.
methodsWe 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.
resultsWere 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.
conclusionsThe 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.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.