The treatment module of Echo-APP can provide patients with a variety of treatment options, aiming to help patients enhance their motivation to stop drug use, reduce drug cravings, strengthen self-control to avoid relapse, strengthen emotional management skills, and enhance individual and social functions (Multimedia Appendix 2).
The whole module includes the following 10 treatment units: (1) strengthening the motivation of drug withdrawal, (2) recognition of drug cravings and incentives, (3) high-risk situations identification and coping skill, (4) dealing with negative cognition, (5) understanding of emotions, (6) stress management, (7) understanding of family conflicts, (8) preventing relapse, (9) mindfulness, and (10) awareness of positive attitude and well-being (Multimedia Appendix 3). Based on the patient's assessment results, the treatment unit that meets the needs of the patient’s condition will be selected to provide to the patient.
Each treatment unit follows a structured setting for CBT. At the beginning of each treatment unit, there will be a brief introduction to the treatment goals and themes of the unit. After that, it will enter the formal treatment session, in which various common tools of CBT [29 (link),30 (link)] (eg, thinking record sheet, analysis sheet of drug use pros and cons, risk level evaluation sheet for external factor, alternative behavior selection sheet), mindfulness-based relapse prevention technique [31 (link)] (integrated into treatment unit 6, 8, and 9), motivational enhancement therapy [32 (link)] (integrated into treatment unit 1), and related knowledge popularization (eg, the damage of different drugs and the antecedent, behavior, and consequence theory of emotion) will be applied.
Free full text: Click here