Publication Trends of Addiction Counseling: A Content Analysis of the Rate and Frequency of Addiction-Focused Articles in Counseling Journals

Substance use disorders (SUDs) and addictions are prevalent client issues that counselors are likely to encounter.Yet, researchers have previously found that counseling journals publish articles about addiction issues at lower rates when compared to other topics.The purpose of this study was to determine recent publication rates of addiction-focused articles in 24 counseling journals between 2016 and 2023.We determined that only 174 (4%) of 4,356 articles published in counseling journals explored addictions-related issues.We conducted a multiple regression analysis and found that the publishing journal had a significant predictive relationship with the publication of addiction-focused articles, while publication year did not.We provide implications for counselors, researchers, reviewers, and journal editors to advocate for the publication of addiction-focused literature for the benefit of the counseling profession.