Postwithdrawal exposure treatment to prevent relapse in opiate addicts: a pilot study.
A major problem in treating opiate addiction is relapse within a few months after withdrawal. Learning models of relapse offer some promise toward understanding this problem. The present pilot study examines whether cue-exposure treatment to drug-related cues, in hospital and real life, might reduce relapse. Fourteen opiate addicts were withdrawn on clonidine over 6 days, and 10 of those were exposed to drug-related cues in hospital for 1 week and in real life for another. There were then followed as outpatients up to 6 months. Craving was elicited in half of the 10 patients exposed to drug cues who showed within- and between-session habituation. Four cases were opiate-free at 6 months follow up and 1 at 3 months. Half of the cases had relapsed to heroin at various times up to 6 months. Habituation to craving responses was not obviously related to outcome whereas vocational factors were. The operational use of craving in research is discussed.
Kasvikis
Y
Y
Institute of Psychiatry, London University, De Crespigny Park, England.
Bradley
B
B
Powell
J
J
Marks
I
I
Gray
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D003463:Cues; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D003932:Heroin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*
D003932:Heroin