title: Opiate users and the first years after treatment: outcome analysis of the proportion of follow up time spent in abstinence.
abstract: This second report on a follow-up study of drug users focuses on changes that occurred on a number of variables between intake and follow-up and during the follow-up period. The length of abstinence from opiates was considered as a proportion of the total follow-up period. Overall there was a reduction in opiate use, in injecting and sharing equipment at follow-up. There had been, however, a high level of these risky activities during the follow-up period. Sustained abstinence from opiates was associated with increased employment, enhanced social stability and mental health. Intake drug use was strongly related to follow-up drug status. In particular, those who were injectors of multiple drugs at intake were far less likely to be long term opiate abstainers at follow-up than those who were not injectors at intake or injectors of opiates only.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, National Addiction Centre, London, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sheehan
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oppenheimer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D002188:Cannabis; D003153:Community Health Services; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009294:Narcotics; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics