Effects of a randomized contingency management intervention on opiate abstinence and retention in methadone maintenance treatment in China

AIMS

Methadone maintenance treatment has been made available in China in response to the rapid spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but high rates of dropout and relapse are problematic. The aim of this study was to apply and test if a contingency management (or motivational incentives) intervention can improve treatment retention and reduce drug use.

DESIGN

Random assignment to usual care with (n = 160) or without (n = 159) incentives during a 12-week trial. Incentives participants earned draws for a chance to win prizes on two separate tracks targeting opiate-negative urine sample or consecutive attendance; the number of draws increased with continuous abstinence or attendance.

SETTING

Community-based methadone maintenance clinics in Shanghai and Kunming.

PARTICIPANTS

The sample was 23.8% female, mean age was 38, mean years of drug use was 9.4 and 57.8% had injected drugs in the past 30 days.

MEASUREMENTS

Treatment retention and negative drug urine.

FINDINGS

Relative to the treatment-as-usual (control) group, better retention was observed among the incentive group in Kunming (75% versus 44%), but no difference was found in Shanghai (90% versus 86%). Submission of negative urine samples was more common among the incentive group than the usual care (74% versus 68% in Shanghai, 27% versus 18% in Kunming), as was the longest duration of sustained abstinence (7.7 weeks versus 6.5 in Shanghai, 2.5 versus 1.6 in Kunming). The average total prize amount was 371 Yuan (or $55) per participant (527 for Shanghai versus 216 in Kunming).

CONCLUSIONS

Contingency management improves treatment retention and drug abstinence in methadone maintenance treatment clinics in China, although there can be considerable site differences in magnitude of effects.

Can a 12-step program work in methadone maintenance treatment?

Three consecutive, professionally led (as opposed to self-help) groups following the 12-step program (TSP) were integrated into a methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) program that included 32 heroin-addicted individuals in recovery. This report describes our experience in meeting the challenges that arose and our conclusions regarding the therapeutic potential of this integration. A professional therapeutic staff guided the groups. In-depth interviews of 10 participants and the reflections of the group leaders provided data for learning about the groups' experience. Initially the participants rejected the concepts of Step 1, powerlessness and unmanageability of life. The assimilation of Step 4 (defining character defect) also aroused some resistance. The participants eventually adopted the pragmatic aspects of TSP, including its terminology. The establishment of a common language of recovery helped to create group coherence and a sense of belonging, and helped to meet the needs of those who felt stigmatized by both the nonaddicted and addicted population undergoing nonmethadone recovery. TSP could be adapted to various aspects of daily life, produced a sense of self-efficacy, and stimulated motivation for change. Therapeutic implications are discussed.

Group-based strategies for stress reduction in methadone maintenance treatment: what do patients want?

OBJECTIVES

To assess methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients' willingness to use, and perceived efficacy of, conventional and unconventional group stress reduction treatments.

METHODS

A survey, developed by the authors, was administered to 150 MMT patients.

RESULTS

Levels of treatment willingness and perceived efficacy for both conventional and unconventional treatments were relatively high; however, ratings for conventional interventions were, on average, significantly higher than those for unconventional ones. The highest rated conventional and unconventional treatments in terms of willingness and perceived efficacy were nutrition and spiritual counseling, respectively, whereas the lowest rated conventional and unconventional group treatments were anger management and visualization training, respectively. White race was a significant predictor of lower willingness to try conventional and unconventional group therapies and lower perceived efficacy of unconventional group treatment, whereas female sex and older age were significant predictors of higher levels of willingness to try unconventional group treatment. Higher levels of substance use problems were associated with increased willingness to try conventional group treatment. Higher levels of anxiety emerged as a significant independent predictor of treatment willingness and perceived efficacy for both conventional and unconventional group treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

The relatively high levels of treatment willingness and perceived efficacy of conventional and unconventional group stress reduction treatments point to the feasibility of offering these interventions in MMT and suggest that, in particular, high levels of anxiety are associated with greater treatment willingness and perceived treatment efficacy.

The source of methadone in overdose deaths in Western Virginia in 2004

OBJECTIVES

Methadone-related overdose deaths increased in the United States by 468% from 1999 to 2005. Current studies associate the nonmedical use of methadone with methadone-related deaths. This study describes medical examiner cases in rural Virginia in 2004 with methadone identified by toxicology and compares cases according to source of methadone.

METHODS

In 2004, all intentional and unintentional poisoning deaths from the Office of The Chief Medical Examiner, Western District of Virginia, were reviewed to identify cases in which methadone was a direct or contributing cause of death. The Virginia Prescription Monitoring Program was reviewed for prescription opioids in the name of these identified decedents. Decedent participation in local opioid treatment programs (OTP) was also assessed.

RESULTS

The source of methadone in the 61 methadone-related overdose deaths was mostly nonprescribed (67%), although 28% of decedents were prescribed methadone for analgesia. Only 5% of decedents were actively enrolled in an OTP. The majority of deaths were attributed to polysubstance overdose.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of methadone overdose deaths in this study were related to illicit methadone use, rather than prescribed or OTP uses. Interventions to decrease methadone-related deaths should focus on reduction of nonprescription use of methadone.

Improving temporal efficiency of outpatient buprenorphine induction

Buprenorphine induction poses a barrier for physician adoption of office-based opioid dependence treatment. We conducted a retrospective chart review of the first 41 patients inducted at a newly established outpatient treatment program to examine the induction process and determine strategies associated with greater induction efficiency. Timed withdrawal scales, medication log, and notes enabled reconstruction of the initial day of buprenorphine treatment. To assess change with experience, consecutive patients were divided into three chronological groups for analyses (Phases 1-3). The time required for induction was substantial in Phase 1 (mean 5.5 hours), but temporal efficiency improved to a mean 1.5 hours spent at the program by Phase 3 (p < .001). Phase 2-3 patients arrived to the program after significantly longer opioid abstinence and were in greater withdrawal, with mean Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale scores of 6, 10, and 10 for Phases 1-3, respectively (p < .01). Patients in the later phases had less time delay to medication initiation, 5 minutes in Phase 3 compared to 133 minutes in Phase 1 (p < .001). The mean 7-mg buprenorphine dose administered in the office did not differ between groups, but occurred over a smaller time interval for later phases indicating more rapid titration. Patients in the later phases had more rapid withdrawal relief after buprenorphine initiation and were more likely to have used preinduction ancillary withdrawal medication. The study sheds light on the induction barrier and provides practical procedural information to inform clinical guidelines and hopefully mitigate procedural aspects of the induction barrier.

Cognitive functioning in opioid-dependent patients treated with buprenorphine, methadone, and other psychoactive medications: stability and correlates

BACKGROUND

In many but not in all neuropsychological studies buprenorphine-treated opioid-dependent patients have shown fewer cognitive deficits than patients treated with methadone. In order to examine if hypothesized cognitive advantage of buprenorphine in relation to methadone is seen in clinical patients we did a neuropsychological follow-up study in unselected sample of buprenorphine- vs. methadone-treated patients.

METHODS

In part I of the study fourteen buprenorphine-treated and 12 methadone-treated patients were tested by cognitive tests within two months (T1), 6-9 months (T2), and 12-17 months (T3) from the start of opioid substitution treatment. Fourteen healthy controls were examined at similar intervals. Benzodiazepine and other psychoactive comedications were common among the patients. Test results were analyzed with repeated measures analysis of variance and planned contrasts. In part II of the study the patient sample was extended to include 36 patients at T2 and T3. Correlations between cognitive functioning and medication, substance abuse, or demographic variables were then analyzed.

RESULTS

In part I methadone patients were inferior to healthy controls tests in all tests measuring attention, working memory, or verbal memory. Buprenorphine patients were inferior to healthy controls in the first working memory task, the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task and verbal memory. In the second working memory task, the Letter-Number Sequencing, their performance improved between T2 and T3. In part II only group membership (buprenorphine vs. methadone) correlated significantly with attention performance and improvement in the Letter-Number Sequencing. High frequency of substance abuse in the past month was associated with poor performance in the Letter-Number Sequencing.

CONCLUSIONS

The results underline the differences between non-randomized and randomized studies comparing cognitive performance in opioid substitution treated patients (fewer deficits in buprenorphine patients vs. no difference between buprenorphine and methadone patients, respectively). Possible reasons for this are discussed.

[Contingency management in opioid substitution treatment]

The majority of opiate-dependent patients in substitution treatment show additional substance-related disorders. Concomitant use of heroin, alcohol, benzodiazepines or cocaine compromises treatment success. Concomitant drug use may be treated by using contingency management (CM) which is based on learning theory. In CM, abstinence from drugs, as verified by drug screenings, is reinforced directly and contingently. Reinforcers used in CM studies with substituted patients were, amongst others, vouchers and take-home privileges. Studies in the USA show a medium average effect of CM on drug consumption rates and abstinence. The effects decrease markedly after the end of the intervention. We discuss whether CM is applicable within the German substitution treatment system and how it can be combined with other interventions such as selective detoxification treatments or cognitive-behavioural programmes.

Benzodiazepine use and misuse among patients in a methadone program

BACKGROUND

Benzodiazepines (BZD) misuse is a serious public health problem, especially among opiate-dependent patients with anxiety enrolled in methadone program because it puts patients at higher risk of life-threatening multiple drug overdoses. Both elevated anxiety and BZD misuse increase the risk for ex-addicts to relapse. However, there is no recent study to assess how serious the problem is and what factors are associated with BZD misuse. This study estimates the prevalence of BZD misuse in a methadone program, and provides information on the characteristics of BZD users compared to non-users.

METHODS

An anonymous survey was carried out at a methadone program in Baltimore, MD, and all patients were invited to participate through group meetings and fliers around the clinic on a voluntary basis. Of the 205 returned questionnaires, 194 were complete and entered into final data analysis. Those who completed the questionnaire were offered a $5 gift card as an appreciation.

RESULTS

47% of the respondents had a history of BZD use, and 39.8% used BZD without a prescription. Half of the BZD users (54%) started using BZD after entering the methadone program, and 61% of previous BZD users reported increased or resumed use after entering methadone program. Compared to the non-users, BZD users were more likely to be White, have prescribed medication for mental problems, have preexistent anxiety problems before opiate use, and had anxiety problems before entering methadone program. They reported more mental health problems in the past month, and had higher scores in anxiety state, depression and perceived stress (p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Important information on epidemiology of BZD misuse among methadone-maintenance patients suggests that most methadone programs do not address co-occurring anxiety problems, and methadone treatment may trigger onset or worsening of BZD misuse. Further study is needed to explore how to curb misuse and abuse of BZD in the addiction population, and provide effective treatments targeting simultaneously addiction symptoms, anxiety disorders and BZD misuse.

Antecedents and correlates of methadone treatment entry: a comparison of out-of-treatment and in-treatment cohorts

BACKGROUND

The majority of opioid-dependent individuals in the US in need of drug treatment are not receiving it. It would be useful to understand the characteristics of individuals entering and failing to enter methadone treatment.

METHODS

Participants were opioid-dependent adults in Baltimore Maryland recruited from new admissions to one of six methadone treatment programs (n=351) and from the streets from among non-treatment seekers (n=164). At study enrollment, participants were administered the Addiction Severity Index, AIDS Risk Assessment, Community Assessment Inventory, Attitudes toward Methadone Scale, Motivation for Treatment Scale and a urine drug test. A series of logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the best model to predict treatment entry.

RESULTS

The final logistic regression analysis showed that predictors of treatment entry included: being African-American, being on parole or probation, having lower rates of self-reported cocaine use and criminal activity, higher employment functioning, and greater perceptions of support from family and community for behavioral change. In addition, in-treatment participants were more likely to have a more extensive prior history of drug abuse treatment, greater desire to seek help in coping with their drug problem, and more positive view of methadone.

CONCLUSIONS

The distinctions between those entering and those not pursuing MTP entry have significance for the structure of outreach programs and reaffirm the need to supplement the current practices of voluntary and coerced treatment entry with one of encouraged treatment entry through outreach.

Is there a need for heroin substitution treatment in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside? Yes there is, and in many other places too

The prescription of medically-supervised diacetylmorphine, the active ingredient in heroin, to individuals with treatment-refractory opioid dependence is a controversial and often politically charged subject. Just as methadone maintenance was opposed in the 1960s by some treatment providers who preferred abstinence-based therapies, heroin-assisted therapy is now being opposed by some methadone treatment providers--this despite the fact that the effectiveness of heroin-assisted treatment has been demonstrated in no less than six randomized trials in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Canada and the UK. The North American Opiate Medication Initiative (NAOMI) trial in Canada clearly showed heroin-assisted therapy to be superior to methadone in individuals with chronic, treatment-refractory heroin addiction both in terms of retention in addiction treatment and clinical response. An international internal review panel, three Research Ethics Boards, the CIHR RCT review panel, the Therapeutic Products Directorate of Health Canada, and several journal peer-reviewers reviewed the NAOMI trial. Nevertheless, authors of a commentary in this issue of CJPH find fault with the trial in terms of methadone prescribing, use of intention-to-treat analysis, safety and cost. We take this opportunity to respond to the numerous misconceptions and errors in their commentary.

Is there a need for heroin substitution treatment in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside?

The North American Opiate Medication Initiative (NAOMI) was a randomized controlled trial conducted in Vancouver and Montreal comparing heroin substitution treatment (HST) to methadone treatment (MT) for heroin addicts. The HST group had a higher treatment retention rate and lower illicit heroin use than the MT group. Despite the rigour with which the study was designed, systematic flaws have affected the interpretation of the results. In the MT arm, the dose was titrated slowly, contributing to the high early dropout rate. The mean maintenance dose was suboptimal. The investigators did not calculate on-treatment retention rates; by the end of the trial, more subjects were on MT than HST. Life-threatening events were more common in the HST than the MT group. Overall, the only clear advantage of HST over MT was its greater initial treatment attractiveness, resulting in more early drop-outs in the MT group. HST is intended for treatment-refractory addicts who have no other option but to use street heroin. Yet for most NAOMI subjects, the safest and most cost-effective approach is comprehensive MT or buprenorphine with optimal dosing, flexible program policies, and the provision of integrated primary care and social services. These proven strategies, currently lacking in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, should be implemented before diverting already insufficient resources to HST, given its risks, cost and uncertain efficacy.

Effectiveness and cost effectiveness of expanding harm reduction and antiretroviral therapy in a mixed HIV epidemic: a modeling analysis for Ukraine

BACKGROUND

Injection drug use (IDU) and heterosexual virus transmission both contribute to the growing mixed HIV epidemics in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In Ukraine-chosen in this study as a representative country-IDU-related risk behaviors cause half of new infections, but few injection drug users (IDUs) receive methadone substitution therapy. Only 10% of eligible individuals receive antiretroviral therapy (ART). The appropriate resource allocation between these programs has not been studied. We estimated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of strategies for expanding methadone substitution therapy programs and ART in mixed HIV epidemics, using Ukraine as a case study.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

We developed a dynamic compartmental model of the HIV epidemic in a population of non-IDUs, IDUs using opiates, and IDUs on methadone substitution therapy, stratified by HIV status, and populated it with data from the Ukraine. We considered interventions expanding methadone substitution therapy, increasing access to ART, or both. We measured health care costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), HIV prevalence, infections averted, and incremental cost-effectiveness. Without incremental interventions, HIV prevalence reached 67.2% (IDUs) and 0.88% (non-IDUs) after 20 years. Offering methadone substitution therapy to 25% of IDUs reduced prevalence most effectively (to 53.1% IDUs, 0.80% non-IDUs), and was most cost-effective, averting 4,700 infections and adding 76,000 QALYs compared with no intervention at US$530/QALY gained. Expanding both ART (80% coverage of those eligible for ART according to WHO criteria) and methadone substitution therapy (25% coverage) was the next most cost-effective strategy, adding 105,000 QALYs at US$1,120/QALY gained versus the methadone substitution therapy-only strategy and averting 8,300 infections versus no intervention. Expanding only ART (80% coverage) added 38,000 QALYs at US$2,240/QALY gained versus the methadone substitution therapy-only strategy, and averted 4,080 infections versus no intervention. Offering ART to 80% of non-IDUs eligible for treatment by WHO criteria, but only 10% of IDUs, averted only 1,800 infections versus no intervention and was not cost effective.

CONCLUSIONS

Methadone substitution therapy is a highly cost-effective option for the growing mixed HIV epidemic in Ukraine. A strategy that expands both methadone substitution therapy and ART to high levels is the most effective intervention, and is very cost effective by WHO criteria. When expanding ART, access to methadone substitution therapy provides additional benefit in infections averted. Our findings are potentially relevant to other settings with mixed HIV epidemics. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.

Assessing sleep in opioid dependence: a comparison of subjective ratings, sleep diaries, and home polysomnography in methadone maintenance patients

OBJECTIVES

Comparisons of subjective and objective sleep measures have shown discrepancies between reported sleep and polysomnography (PSG) in non-drug dependent individuals with and without insomnia. Sleep may affect behavioral and physiologic aspects of drug abuse and dependence; patients in methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) for opioid dependence frequently report sleep problems. Whether subjective sleep reflects objective sleep in MMT patients is unknown. We undertook these analyses to establish the correlations among subjective and objective sleep measures in MMT patients.

METHODS

We compared one week of daily sleep diaries, one night of home PSG, a questionnaire completed the morning after PSG, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI) as well as demographics and drug use measures in 62 MMT patients with disturbed sleep (PSQI score > 5).

RESULTS

Subjective and objective sleep durations were similar in this sample; average sleep times for the diary, morning questionnaire, and PSG were 340, 323, and 332 min, respectively. Average diary sleep time, subjective ratings of feeling rested, and PSG sleep efficiency were correlated significantly with PSQI score. Age was inversely correlated with PSG sleep time. Participants whose urine toxicology showed benzodiazapine use reported significantly longer sleep times on the morning questionnaire.

CONCLUSIONS

Objective sleep measures confirm subjective measures in MMT patients with disturbed sleep. The high prevalence of sleep complaints in this population likely reflects pathology rather than sleep misperception. Both objective and subjective measures are useful in research and clinical settings for assessing sleep in opioid-dependent patients.

Randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial of disulfiram for the treatment of cocaine dependence in methadone-stabilized patients

This study examined the dose-related efficacy of disulfiram for treating cocaine dependence in methadone-stabilized cocaine dependent participants.

DESIGN

One hundred and sixty-one cocaine- and opioid-dependent volunteers were entered into a 14-week, double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial at two sites.

METHODS

Participants were stabilized on methadone during weeks 1-2 and received disulfiram at 0, 62.5, 125 or 250 mg/day during weeks 3-14. All participants also received weekly cognitive behavioral therapy. Thrice-weekly urine samples and weekly self-reported drug use assessments were obtained.

RESULTS

Baseline subject characteristics, retention and drug use did not differ across groups. Outcome analyses were performed on those who participated beyond week 2. Opioid-positive urine samples and self-reported opioid use did not differ by treatment group. The prevalence of alcohol use was low prior to and during the trial and did not differ by treatment group. Cocaine-positive urines increased over time in the 62.5 and 125 mg disulfiram groups and decreased over time in the 250 mg disulfiram and placebo groups (p < 0.0001). Self-reported cocaine use increased in the 125 mg disulfiram group relative to the other three treatment groups (p = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Disulfiram may be contraindicated for cocaine dependence at doses <250 mg/day. Whether disulfiram at higher doses is efficacious in reducing cocaine use in dually cocaine and opioid dependent individuals needs to be determined.

Endocrine and behavioural effects of transdermal buprenorphine in pain-suffering women of different reproductive ages

Chronic pain is a common problem in clinical practice and women are affected more often than men. Morphine is often used for long-term pain relief, but it induces side effects including endocrine alterations. The aim of the present study was to assess the behavioural and hormonal effects of transdermal buprenorphine in women suffering from persistent non-malignant pain. Hormones (LH, FSH, total and free testosterone, estradiol, cortisol) and pain measures (visual analogue scale, McGill Pain questionnaire, present pain intensity test) were evaluated at baseline and after 1, 3 and 6 months. Subjects were recruited in the Second University of Naples Pain Research Centre. Eighteen chronic pain women were included in the study, divided into pre- and post-menopausal groups. A transdermal buprenorphine patch (Buprenorphine TDS, 35 µg/h) was administered every 72 h. As expected, buprenorphine administration led to a decrease in pain intensity and no side effects suggestive of hypogonadism were recorded. Pain measures decreased at the first control visit (T1) in both groups. Total and free testosterone were not reduced by treatment (they tended to increase in both groups) while cortisol progressively recovered from the quite low levels detected at the beginning of treatment. These data confirm that buprenorphine is a safe and effective drug for pain relief in women. It is free from the adverse effects on gonadal hormones frequently associated with other opioid treatments. The lack of opioid-induced effects on gonadal hormones (i.e., hypogonadism) is important to guarantee safe long-term pain treatment.

[Heroin addiction]

Heroin is an illicit, highly addictive drug. It is either the most abused or the most rapidly acting member of opioids. Abusers describe a feeling of a surge of pleasurable sensation, named as "rush" or "high". Repeated administration of high doses of heroin results in the induction of physical dependence. Physical dependence refers to an altered physiological state produced by chronic administration of heroin which necessitates the continued administration of the drug to prevent the appearance of a characteristic syndrome, the opioid withdrawal or abstinence syndrome. Withdrawal symptoms may occur within a few hours after the last administration of heroin. Symptoms of the withdrawal include restlessness, insomnia, drug craving, diarrhea, muscle and bone pain, cold flashes with goose bumps, and leg movements. Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose of heroin and subside after about a week. At this time, weakness and depression are pronounced and nausea and vomiting are common. Nevertheless, some chronic addicts have shown persistent withdrawal signs for many months or even years. Heroin addiction is considered as a behavioural state of compulsive drug use and a high tendency to relapse after periods of abstinence. It is generally accepted that compulsive use and relapse are typically associated with the status of heroin craving or heroin hunger that are difficult to define but appear to be powerful motivational significance in the addiction process. The route of administering heroin varies largely and may indicate the degree of seriousness of the individual's addiction. Intravenous administration seems to be the predominant method of heroin use, but recently a shift in heroin use pattern has been found, i.e. from injection to sniffing and smoking. Frequent injections coupled with widespread sharing of syringes increase the risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis B, C and other blood-borne infectious diseases. Long-term use of heroin has also severe medical consequences such as scarred veins, bacterial infections of blood vessels, liver and kidney diseases, and lung complications.

Course of weight change during naltrexone versus methadone maintenance for opioid-dependent patients

BACKGROUND

micro-Opiate receptor agonism has been associated with weight gain, whereas micro-antagonists have been associated with weight neutrality, or even weight loss.

AIM

This study examined the course of weight changes in opiate-dependent patients over the first 6 months of treatment in methadone (agonist) versus naltrexone (antagonist) maintenance.

DESIGN

A retrospective chart review was conducted on 36 opiate-dependent patients maintained on methadone (n=16) or naltrexone (n=20). OUTCOME MEASURES AND ANALYSES: The primary outcome measure was change in body weight from baseline to 3 months and 6 months into treatment. Analysis of variance was used to compare mean weights between the methadone- and naltrexone-maintained patients. Secondarily, mean percent weight changes from baseline to 3 months and from baseline to 6 months into treatment were compared using Student's t-test.

RESULTS

There was no difference between weight at baseline, 3 months, or 6 months into treatment between the two treatment groups. Furthermore, there was also no difference between the two groups regarding percent weight change from baseline to 3 months or baseline to 6 months. At 3 months, n=16 methadone patients had a mean weight increase of 1.86 percent (standard deviation [SD] = 7.22 percent) when compared with n=20 Behavioral Naltrexone Therapy (BNT) patients with an increase of 4.63 percent (SD = 6.49 percent). At 6 months, n=16 methadone patients had a mean weight increase relative to baseline of 3.67 percent (SD = 9.52percent) when compared with n=20 BNT patients, who demonstrated a mean increase of 6.69 percent (SD = 7.56 percent). No association was found between baseline weight, defined as "low" or "high" relative to group medians, and percent gain within and between treatment groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This study did not detect a statistically different course of weight gain between methadone and naltrexone maintenance treatment for opiate-dependent patients.

Adapting problem-solving therapy for depressed older adults in methadone maintenance treatment

Late-life depression is prevalent in older adults who are dependent on opiates. Depressive disorders among opiate abusers have detrimental effects on their well-being and ability to refrain from illegal drugs. There are numerous barriers to the provision of appropriate mental health care to older adults receiving methadone maintenance treatment. This article focuses on problem-solving therapy (PST) and presents evidence that PST may be a promising nonpharmacological treatment for older methadone clients with comorbid depressive disorders that can be applied within the staffing and resource limits of methadone maintenance treatment facilities. The advantages of PST relative to other behavioral therapies for this population are based on evidence that PST is less cognitively demanding for an older adult population with mood and substance use disorders. A properly modified PST for an older adult substance-dependent population with subsyndromal or diagnosed depression may be a viable option for methadone maintenance programs with limited resources.

Temporal changes of smoking status and motivation among Chinese heroin-dependent, methadone-maintained smokers

INTRODUCTION

The rates of cigarette smoking remain extremely high in active heroin users and methadone-maintained patients. It remains undetermined whether smoking status and motivation would be differentially affected by heroin and methadone administration.

METHODS

Heroin-dependent, methadone-maintained patients were recruited in the present studies. A battery of self-report questionnaires was used in the current study, in order to assess smoking status and motivations before first heroin use, during active heroin use and after Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) admission.

RESULTS

An extremely high portion of participants started smoking before first heroin use. The highest level of cigarette smoking was found during the period of active heroin use, and cigarette consumption was reported to decrease after MMT admission. A wide range of smoking motivations were found before first heroin use. Moreover, "maintaining heroin pleasure" was the primary motivation for the increase in cigarette consumption during the period of active heroin use and 1h after heroin administration, while "habitual smoking" was the primary smoking motivation before first heroin use and after MMT admission respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study first demonstrated that the prolonged rewarding effect of heroin following cigarette smoking may account for the increase of nicotine consumption found in the heroin-dependent patients. It appears that heroin and methadone differentially influenced smoking status and motivation among heroin-dependent, methadone-maintained patients.

Childhood sexual abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, and use of heroin among female clients in Israeli methadone maintenance treatment programs (MMTPS)

This study investigated association between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a 1-year follow-up heroin use among female clients in methadone clinics in Israel. Participants were 104 Israeli female clients from four methadone clinics (Mean age = 39.09, SD = 8.61) who reported victimization to childhood sexual abuse. We tested traces in urine of these female clients for heroin a year preceding and a year following the assessment of their PTSD. Results show that 54.2% reported symptoms that accedes the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. We found that among childhood victimized women PTSD is associated with more frequent use of heroin at a 1-year follow-up even after controlling for duration of the stay at the clinic, background, other traumatic experiences and heroin use a year prior the assessment of their PTSD. This study shows the potential long-run negative consequences of childhood sexual abuse. Not only are these sexually abused women trapped into drug dependence and addiction, they cannot break the vicious cycle of continuing the use of illicit drugs even when treated for their addiction. One major practice implication is that treatment for PTSD proven efficacious will be provided in the methadone and other drug treatment services.