Predicting long-term stable recovery from heroin addiction: findings from a 33-year follow-up study.
Heroin addiction is increasingly being recognized as a chronic relapsing condition, but relatively little is known about long-term recovery processes among addicts who attain and maintain long periods of abstinence. This study is to identify predictors of long-term stable recovery from heroin addiction based on 242 heroin addicts that have been followed for more than 30 years. Results showed that recovery and non-recovery groups did not differ in deviant behaviors and family/school problems in their earlier lives. Both groups tried formal treatment and self-directed recovery ("self-treatment"), often many times. While the non-recovered addicts were significantly more likely to use substances in coping with stressful conditions, to have spouses who also abused drugs, and to lack non-drug-using social support, stable recovery ten years later was predicted only by ethnicity, self-efficacy, and psychological distress. These findings suggest that in addition to early intervention to curtail heroin addiction, increasing self-efficacy and addressing psychological problems are likely to enhance the odds of maintaining long-term stable recovery.
Hser
Yih-Ing
YI
Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behaviour, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA. yhser@ucla.edu
D000124:Achievement; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003289:Convalescence; D003710:Demography; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome