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 Fourteen opiate addicts were withdrawn on clonidine over 6 days, and 10 of those were exposed to drug-related cues in hospital for 1 week and in real life for another.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.
Institute of Psychiatry, London University, De Crespigny Park, England.
Y
Y
Kasvikis
B
B
Bradley
J
J
Powell
I
I
Marks
J A
JA
Gray
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