Evaluating the effectiveness of substance use disorder treatment centers: a systematic review of…

Systematic reviewSubstance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy· Jun 2026

Evaluating the effectiveness of substance use disorder treatment centers: a systematic review of international standards and outcomes.

Maryam Jafar Sameri, Majid Alizadeh, Ehsan Moradi-Joo … Sedighe Sadat Tabatabaei Far

Addiction MedicineSystematic reviewQ1IF 3.3

Only 17.9% of substance use disorder treatment studies reported outcomes past 12 months

Evaluating the effectiveness of substance use disorder treatment centers: a systematic review of international standards and outcomes.

Maryam Jafar Sameri … Sedighe Sadat Tabatabaei Far

Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy · Jun 2026

Background

Substance Use Disorder represents a complex global public health challenge, yet the effectiveness of treatment centers remains debated due to lack of consensus on standardized international indicators and heterogeneity of treatment modalities.

Purpose

This systematic review aimed to identify and synthesize key international indicators for measuring treatment success, compare effectiveness of different modalities, and assess impact on social reintegration.

Methods

Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 and Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome frameworks, we conducted systematic searches of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library.

n = 4,234 records

Results

Fewer than 1 in 5 studies tracked treatment outcomes beyond one year

78.6%

From 4 high-income cou

17.9%

Reported outcomes beyo

More results

Medication-Assisted Treatment with methadone and buprenorphine demonstrated consistent effectiveness in reducing substance use and preventing relapse.

Psychosocial interventions, particularly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention, significantly enhanced quality of life.

More results

Integrated models combining pharmacological and psychosocial approaches outperformed single-modality treatments.

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

Effective Substance Use Disorder treatment requires integrated models with standardized, multidimensional outcome indicators.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

Future research must prioritize long-term outcomes and address the substantial evidence gap in low- and middle-income countries. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

Evaluating the effectiveness of substance use disorder treatment centers: a systematic review of international standards and outcomes.

Evaluating the effectiveness of substance use disorder treatment centers: a systematic review of international standards and outcomes.

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