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High Abstinence Rates in Heroin Addicts by a New Comprehensive Treatment Approach
Author(s) -
De Jong Cor A.J.,
Roozen Hendrik G.,
Van Rossum Leo G.M.,
Krabbe Paul F.M.,
Kerkhof Ad J.F.M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the american journal on addictions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.997
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-0391
pISSN - 1055-0496
DOI - 10.1080/10550490601184472
Subject(s) - abstinence , methadone , methadone maintenance , naltrexone , detoxification (alternative medicine) , craving , heroin , addiction , psychiatry , psychopathology , medicine , contingency management , psychology , opioid , opiate , relapse prevention , clinical psychology , drug , alternative medicine , pathology , intervention (counseling) , receptor
In this multi‐center, naturalistic study, the effectiveness of naltrexone maintenance combined with the Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA) was investigated in detoxified, opioid‐dependent patients (N = 272). Patients were recruited from methadone maintenance programs. With intention‐to‐treat analysis, 10 months of treatment yielded abstinence rates of 28% and 32% at 10 and 16 months after detoxification. The cumulative abstinence rate at 16 months was 24%. Quality of life, craving, general psychopathology, use of other psychoactive substances, and addiction severity of the abstinent group significantly improved when compared to the relapsed group. This abstinence‐oriented approach appears to be a feasible goal, and remains an important option next to long‐term methadone maintenance in the management of opioid dependence.