The Effectiveness of Peer Support Interventions for Improving Cocaine and Crack Cocaine Treatment Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Background: Cocaine use disorder (CUD) has been linked to unique challenges and behaviors that may have an impact on how peer support functions regarding persons with CUD. For individuals with active substance use, peer support has been linked to positive impacts in areas such as treatment retention and recovery outcomes. As a result, this paper examines the effectiveness of peer support for the treatment of CUD. Methodology: Literature searches were conducted in four databases for studies examining peer support interventions for cocaine and/or crack cocaine users. Article selection was undertaken in two stages: abstract screening and full-text screening. A narrative synthesis approach was used for data analysis. Results: Four studies reported statistically significant results in cocaine use outcomes, underlining the potential effectiveness of peer support interventions in positively facilitating changes in cocaine use outcomes. Three studies demonstrated that peer support interventions positively influence participation in substance use treatment and related activities. Overall, treatment enrollment rates were high among the studies reviewed. The inconsistent reporting on peer training across studies was discovered. Lastly, the general lack of qualitative studies poses a limitation in completely understanding the intricacies of peer support on CUD treatment. Conclusion: Peer support interventions show promise in improving cocaine use outcomes, but difficulties such as methodological issues and limited research remain.