The primary goal of CBT-OUD is to reduce patient opioid use and opioid-related consequences. The data on opioid use outcomes when CBT-OUD is delivered in combination with medication for opioid use disorders is mixed, with some studies finding no additive effects, and others finding that it is as effective as Contingency Management and more effective than Physician Management over the longer term. In the Department of Veterans Affairs CBT-SUD program, drug use, cravings to use drugs, and substance-related consequences decreased over the course of treatment, but there was no comparison group, so it could not be concluded that the decreases were due to CBT-SUD.

Quality of life measures generally evaluate patients’ self-reported functioning across multiple life domains. In the Department of Veterans Affairs CBT-SUD program, patients reported improvements in their physical health, psychological well-being, social relationships, and overall environment. As with the substance use outcomes, the lack of a control condition limited the ability to conclude that these improvements were caused by the treatment.