Recommendations

Document Overview

Design and created by Guideline Central in participation with the Veterans Health Administration / Department of Defense.

Management of Substance Use Disorder

Veterans Health Administration / Department of Defense

Publication Date: Jan 1, 2015

Page Last Updated: May 5, 2026

Strength of Recommendations in GRADE

Strength	Interpretation	Implications for clinicians	Implications for policymakers
Strong for	Almost all informed patients would choose to receive the intervention	Should be accepted by most patients to whom it is offered	Should be adopted as policy
Weak for	Most informed patients would choose the intervention, but a sizable minority would not	Large role for education and shared decision-making	Requires stakeholder engagement and discussion
Weak against	Most informed patients would not choose the intervention, but a small minority would	Large role for education and shared decision-making	Requires stakeholder engagement and discussion
Strong against	Most patients should not receive the intervention	Should not be offered to patients	Should be adopted as policy

Document Overview

Document Title: Management of Substance Use Disorder

Authoring Society: Veterans Health Administration / Department of Defense

Endorsing Society: American Psychiatric Association

Document Publication Date: Jan 1, 2015

Page Last Reviewed/Updated: May 5, 2026

Document Type: Guideline

Country of Publication: United States

Full Text Freely Available: Yes

Full Text Guideline: vhwfresourcelibrary.org/resources/102_Substance%20Abuse%20VA%20VADoDSUDCPGRevised22216.pdf

Supplemental Implementation Resources

Document Scope, Criteria, and Use Cases

Scope: Assessment and Screening, Counseling, Management, Rehabilitation, Treatment

Diseases/Conditions (MeSH)

D019966 - Substance-Related Disorders

Keywords: Behavioral Treatment, Opioid, Stimulant, Substance use disorders

Inclusion Criteria: Male, Female, Adolescent, Adult, Older Adult

Health Care Settings: Ambulatory, Correctional Facility

Intended Users: Addiction Treatment Specialist, Counselor, Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Physician, Physician Assistant, Psychologist, Social Worker

Recommendation Development Processes & Methodology

Supplemental Methodology Resources: Methodology Supplement Data Supplement Data Supplement

Number of Source Documents: 327

Literature Search Start Date: Thursday, January 1, 2015

Literature Search End Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Includes peer/external review process?: Yes

Includes public comment process?: No

Methodologist involvement?: Yes

Patient involvement?: No

Includes multi-disciplinary group?: Yes

Includes systematic review?: Yes

Grades quality of strength of evidence?: Yes

Grades quality of strength of recommendation?: Yes

Discloses funding source?: Yes

Discloses conflicts of interest?: Yes

Includes benefits/harms analysis with recommendations?: Yes

Management of Substance Use Disorder

Recommendations

A. Screening

B. Brief Alcohol Intervention

C. Determination of Treatment Setting

D. Treatment

a. Alcohol Use Disorder

i. Pharmacotherapy

ii. Psychosocial Interventions

b. Opioid Use Disorder

i. Pharmacotherapy

ii. Psychosocial Interventions With or Without Pharmacotherapy

c. Cannabis Use Disorder

i. Pharmacotherapy

ii. Psychosocial Interventions

d. Stimulant Use Disorder

i. Pharmacotherapy

ii. Psychosocial Interventions

E. Promoting Group Mutual Help Involvement

F. Co-occurring Mental Health Conditions and Psychosocial Problems

G. Follow-up

H. Stabilization and Withdrawal

a. Assessment

b. Alcohol Use Disorder Stabilization and Withdrawal

c. Opioid Use Disorder Stabilization and Withdrawal

d. Sedative Hypnotic Use Disorder Stabilization and Withdrawal

Strength of Recommendations in GRADE

Document Overview

Supplemental Implementation Resources

Document Scope, Criteria, and Use Cases

Recommendation Development Processes & Methodology