Antecedents and correlates of methadone treatment entry: a comparison of out-of-treatment and in-treatment cohorts.
BACKGROUND
The majority of opioid-dependent individuals in the US in need of drug treatment are not receiving it. It would be useful to understand the characteristics of individuals entering and failing to enter methadone treatment.


METHODS
Participants were opioid-dependent adults in Baltimore Maryland recruited from new admissions to one of six methadone treatment programs (n=351) and from the streets from among non-treatment seekers (n=164). At study enrollment, participants were administered the Addiction Severity Index, AIDS Risk Assessment, Community Assessment Inventory, Attitudes toward Methadone Scale, Motivation for Treatment Scale and a urine drug test. A series of logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the best model to predict treatment entry.


RESULTS
The final logistic regression analysis showed that predictors of treatment entry included: being African-American, being on parole or probation, having lower rates of self-reported cocaine use and criminal activity, higher employment functioning, and greater perceptions of support from family and community for behavioral change. In addition, in-treatment participants were more likely to have a more extensive prior history of drug abuse treatment, greater desire to seek help in coping with their drug problem, and more positive view of methadone.


CONCLUSIONS
The distinctions between those entering and those not pursuing MTP entry have significance for the structure of outreach programs and reaffirm the need to supplement the current practices of voluntary and coerced treatment entry with one of encouraged treatment entry through outreach.
Friends Research Institute, Inc. 1040 Park Avenue, Suite 103, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA. rschwartz@friendsresearch.org
Robert P
RP
Schwartz
Sharon M
SM
Kelly
Kevin E
KE
O'Grady
Shannon Gwin
SG
Mitchell
Barry S
BS
Brown
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone; D008875:Middle Aged; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000639:trends; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010343:Patient Admission; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D008691:Methadone