Lapse and Relapse Rates in Narcotics Anonymous Versus Methadone Maintenance Treatment: A 12-Month Prospective Study

Objective: The present study aimed to compare lapse and relapse-free survival between patients treated in Narcotics Anonymous (NA) groups and Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) centers and to determine the relationship between social support scale and treatment outcome. Method: This study was a prospective, 12-month cohort study using the random sampling method to select 100 newcomer patients treated by the NA Association as well as 100 patients in MMT centers. The data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and Social Support Appraisals (SSA) scale at the onset of the study along with follow-up phone calls every other week. Results: All participants were male, aged between 18 and 65 with a mean (SD) age of 38.98 (± 10.85) years. Prevalence of relapse in 12 months was 60.5%. The lapses in the MMT group and relapses in the NA group were significantly higher (P < 0.001). The younger patients with lower levels of education are at greater risk of lapse/relapse. The mean score of SSA was significantly higher in the MMT group than the NA group in all subscales, including friends, family, and the others' support (P < 0.001). The mean scores of SSA subscales for the participants without relapse in the NA group was significantly higher in comparison to the MMT group. Conclusion: Detection of factors related to drug abuse relapse/lapse may help addiction therapists to identify drug abuse patients with lapse/relapse and to develop treatment and policy guidelines to prevent relapse in addiction recovery.

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Drug Abuse and Behavioral Transgressions during Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) are Related to High Psychopathy Levels

Substance Use & Misuse ◽

10.1080/10826084.2019.1685546 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 55 (3) ◽

pp. 460-468

Author(s):

David Potik ◽

Yali Abramsohn ◽

Shaul Schreiber ◽

Miriam Adelson ◽

Einat Peles

Keyword(s):

Drug Abuse ◽

Methadone Maintenance Treatment ◽

Maintenance Treatment ◽

Methadone Maintenance

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The Relationship Between Vulnerable Attachment Style, Psychopathology, Drug Abuse, and Retention in Treatment Among Methadone Maintenance Treatment Patients

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs ◽

10.1080/02791072.2014.944290 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 325-333 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

David Potik ◽

Einat Peles ◽

Yahli Abramsohn ◽

Miriam Adelson ◽

Shaul Schreiber

Keyword(s):

Drug Abuse ◽

Attachment Style ◽

Methadone Maintenance Treatment ◽

Maintenance Treatment ◽

Methadone Maintenance ◽

Retention In Treatment ◽

The Relationship

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Drug abuse and responsible fathering: a comparative study of men enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment

Addiction ◽

10.1111/j.1360-0443.2007.02075.x ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 103 (2) ◽

pp. 269-283 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Thomas J. McMahon ◽

Justin D. Winkel ◽

Bruce J. Rounsaville

Keyword(s):

Drug Abuse ◽

Comparative Study ◽

Methadone Maintenance Treatment ◽

Maintenance Treatment ◽

Methadone Maintenance ◽

Responsible Fathering

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Methadone as an analgesic for patients with chronic pain in methadone maintenance treatment programs (MMTPs)

Journal of Opioid Management ◽

10.5055/jom.2009.0012 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 107 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Craig D. Blinderman, MD, MA ◽

Ryuichi Sekine, MD ◽

Baohui Zhang, MS ◽

Matthew Nillson, MS ◽

Lauren Shaiova, MD

Keyword(s):

Chronic Pain ◽

Methadone Maintenance Treatment ◽

Maintenance Treatment ◽

Methadone Maintenance ◽

Pain Clinic ◽

Treatment Programs ◽

Methadone Dose ◽

Pain Syndromes ◽

The Mean ◽

Chronic Pain Syndromes

Background: Limited case reports have suggested a role for methadone as an analgesic for chronic pain in patients maintained on methadone for treatment of opiate addiction. Patients with HIV are disproportionately represented in this population and often have severe, debilitating chronic pain syndromes of multiple etiologies, including cancer-related pain syndromes.Objective: This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of initiating and maintaining additional methadone for chronic pain in HIV-positive patients with ongoing treatment for opiate addiction in methadone maintenance treatment programs (MMTPs).Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of 53 HIV/AIDS patients (36 male, 17 female; 24 with cancer) with diverse chronic pain syndromes who were followed in an HIV Pain Clinic and were currently enrolled in an MMTP. The outcome measure was pain, assessed using a numeric rating scale (0-10). Incidence of heroin use was also measured.Results: The mean methadone dose initially prescribed for analgesia was approximately equal to 67 percent of the methadone dose used in the MMTP for addiction. Over the 12-month retrospective observation period, methadone was titrated to approximately 200 percent of the methadone maintenance dose. The mean pain score at initial visit to the Pain Clinic was 9.4 + 1.03. After methadone for analgesia has been administered for 1 month, the mean pain score decreased to 5.35 ± 1.7 (p < 0.001), at 3 months, 4.8 ± 1.3 (p < 0.001), at 6 months, 4.2 ± 1.7 (p < 0.001), and at 12 months, 4.2 ± 1.4 (p < 0.001). No serious adverse events or side effects were observed with methadone therapy for analgesia.Conclusion: HIV/AIDS patients with chronic pain enrolled in MMTPs achieved improved analgesia with no serious side effects when additional methadone was administered for pain relief. Further controlled studies are needed to confirm our findings and to establish the safety and efficacy of methadone therapy for chronic pain in this population.

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