title: A pilot assessment of relapse prevention for heroin addicts in a Chinese rehabilitation center.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To conduct a pilot assessment of relapse prevention (RP) group therapy for heroin-dependent patients in a drug rehabilitation center in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized case-control study was conducted to assess the efficacy of RP delivered over a 2-month period to male heroin addicts (n = 50, RP group) in the Shanghai Labor Drug Rehabilitation Center (LDRC) compared with an equal number of participants (n = 50, labor rehabilitation (LR) group) in the LDRC program receiving standard-of-care treatment. Outcomes were assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), the Self-Efficacy Scale (SE), and the Self-Esteem Scale (SES) after completion of RP, and by the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) and abstinence rates of heroin use at 3-month follow-up post release from the LDRC for both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant improvements in scores on SAS, SE, and SES were found in the RP group after completion of the 2-month RP group therapy compared with the LR group (SAS 7.85 ± 6.20 vs 1.07 ± 5.42, SE 3.88 ± 3.60 vs .08 ± 2.89, and SES 3.83 ± 3.31 vs .78 ± 2.55). At 3-month follow-up, the RP group participants had more improvements on ASI scores in most domains and had higher abstinence rates than that in the LR group (37.2% vs 16.7%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An RP component can be effective in increasing abstinence rates among post-program heroin-dependent individuals and may help reduce anxiety and improve self-esteem and self-efficacy during and following treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests RP as a potentially effective component of treatment for heroin addicts.
authors: Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. drzhaomin@sh163.net
authors: Zhao
authors: Z
authors: Min
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Xu
authors: Hanhui
authors: H
authors: Chen
authors: Xu
authors: X
authors: Ding
authors: Zhang
authors: Z
authors: Yi
authors: Zhang
authors: Z
authors: Mingyuang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D012649:Self Concept; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D016896:Treatment Outcome