The National Treatment Outcome Research Study (NTORS): 4-5 year follow-up results.
OBJECTIVE
The National Treatment Outcome Research Study (NTORS) is the first prospective national study of treatment outcome among drug misusers in the United Kingdom. NTORS investigates outcomes for drug misusers treated in existing services in residential and community settings.


METHODS
The study used a longitudinal, prospective cohort design. Data were collected by structured interviews at intake to treatment, 1 year, 2 years and at 4-5 years. The sample comprised 418 patients from 54 agencies and four treatment modalities.


METHODS
Measures were taken of illicit drug use, injecting and sharing injecting equipment, alcohol use, psychological health and crime.


RESULTS
Rates of abstinence from illicit drugs increased after treatment among patients from both residential and community (methadone) programmes. Reductions were found for frequency of use of heroin, non-prescribed methadone, benzodiazepines, injecting and sharing of injecting equipment. For most variables, reductions were evident at 1 year with outcomes remaining at about the 1 year level or with further reductions. Crack cocaine and alcohol outcomes at 4-5 years were not significantly different from intake.


CONCLUSIONS
Substantial reductions across a range of problem behaviours were found 4-5 years after patients were admitted to national treatment programmes delivered under day-to-day conditions. The less satisfactory outcomes for heavy drinking and use of crack cocaine suggest the need for services to be modified to tackle these problems more effectively. Despite differences between the United Kingdom and the United States in patient populations and in treatment programmes, there are many similarities between the two countries in outcomes from large-scale, multi-site studies.
Gossop
Michael
M
National Addiction Centre, The Maudsley/Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK. m.gossop@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Marsden
John
J
Stewart
Duncan
D
Kidd
Tara
T
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000534:rehabilitation; D000662:Amphetamines; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003415:Crime / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004739:England; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012114:Residential Treatment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000662:Amphetamines; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D008691:Methadone