[Characteristics and outcome of interventions offered to drug users attending public treatment centers in Lazio, Italy].
In 1991 the Lazio Region set up a surveillance system which collects individual data on each drug user attending Public Treatment Centres (PTCs). The analysis of surveillance system data allows not only to describe the characteristics of treatments but also to analyse determinants of treatment outcomes. In this study the outcome of treatment was evaluated in 5.646 drug users who attended public centres in 1992. The outcome was defined in two categories: positive (subjects who completed the therapeutic program, were referred to different service or were still in treatment) negative (subjects who refused or dropped out treatment, arrested or dead). Drug users usually receive more than one treatment in one year, 60% of them successfully completed. Methadone treatment shows the highest level of compliance while naltrexone the lowest. The negative outcome is highly associated with sex, type of treatment, length of treatment and outcome of previous treatment. Males are more likely to experience a negative outcome than females. Those offered naltrexone are more likely to refuse and drop out than those offered psychosocial treatment. Long term treatments are more successful than shorter ones. Furthermore, drop out is higher among those who have dropped out in the past. Although this observational study might not permit conclusions on the efficacy of each type of treatment, it allows an evaluation of the selection procedures at the treatment centres. Treatment centres for drug users in Lazio tend to select clients according to standard therapeutic treatment protocols instead of making treatments more accessible to drug users.
D'Ippoliti
D
D
Davoli
M
M
Bargagli
A M
AM
Pasqualini
F
F
Perucci
C A
CA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*