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GXC 2025 Online Virtual Conference - Mental Health Without Borders

Harm Reduction vs. Abstinence-Based Remission: Evidence, Outcomes, & Implications

John F. Kelly, Ph.D., ABPP 🇺🇸
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Date & Time

Description

For many decades, complete cessation of alcohol and other drug use was viewed as the most desirable outcome to measure in clinical and public health research. In more recent times, there has been a push to measure other types of outcomes, including reductions in alcohol/drug use and other outcomes relevant to functioning and well-being. This talk discusses the shift in emphasis toward a broader set of measures and examines the clinical and public health utility of these different psychometric approaches as well as empirical data on individuals’ functioning and psychological well-being pertaining to the different outcome types (e.g., abstinent remission vs non-abstinence remission). Implications for clinical care and provider recommendations will be discussed.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Describe the advantages and disadvantages of different alcohol/drug use outcome metrics

  • Discuss the history and rationale of abstinent/non-abstinent approaches for measuring the effectiveness of clinical care

  • List two quality of life and functioning benefits associated with abstinent remission versus non-abstinent remission

  • Name a major long-term benefit associated with abstinent vs non-abstinent remission

Educational Goal

This session will enhance clinicians’ professional understanding of how different outcome metrics--abstinence-based versus harm-reduction approaches--inform the measurement of recovery and treatment success. Participants will gain greater sophistication in evaluating and applying evidence-based outcome measures to guide clinical recommendations and improve long-term patient care.

Target Audience

  • Addiction Professional
  • Counselor
  • Marriage & Family Therapist
  • Nurse
  • Physician
  • Psychologist
  • Social Worker

Presenters

John F. Kelly, Ph.D., ABPP 🇺🇸
Dr. Kelly is the Elizabeth R. Spallin Professor of Psychiatry in Addiction Medicine at Harvard Medical School – the first endowed professor in addiction medicine at Harvard. He is also the Founder and Director of the Recovery Research Institute at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Associate Director of the Center for Addiction Medicine (CAM) at MGH. Dr. Kelly is a former President of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Society of Addiction Psychology, a founding member and inaugural President of the American Board of Addiction Psychology, a Fellow of the APA, and a Diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology. He has served as a consultant to U.S. federal agencies and non-federal institutions, as well as foreign governments, the United Nations and the World Health Organization. Dr. Kelly has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles, reviews, chapters, and books in the field of addiction medicine, and was an author on the U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health. He has won numerous state, national, and international lifetime achievements and distinguished scientist awards for his work. His clinical and research endeavors have focused on addiction treatment and the recovery process, mechanisms of behavior change, and reducing stigma and discrimination among individuals suffering from addiction.

Financially Sponsored By

  • GXC Events - The Global Exchange Conference