title: Gender differences in treatment and clinical characteristics among patients receiving extended release naltrexone.
abstract: Further research is needed to investigate real-world acceptability of extended-release naltrexone for alcohol and opioid use disorders, and potential gender differences. This study examines treatment and clinical characteristics among men and women receiving extended-release naltrexone in a large, publicly funded substance use disorder treatment system (N = 465; 52% female). Patient demographics, treatment characteristics, and the number of extended-release naltrexone doses received were collected from administrative data and treatment program staff. Additionally, patients provided information on experiences with extended-release naltrexone in an open-ended format at 1, 2, and 3 weeks following their first injection. For a subsample of patients (N = 220), alcohol/opioid cravings and specific adverse effects were also assessed. Compared to men, women reported experiencing a higher rate and mean number of adverse effects. Overall, craving scores showed substantial reductions over time. However, among patients taking extended-release naltrexone for alcohol use, women showed a significantly greater reduction in craving scores compared to men. No gender differences were observed in the number of extended-release naltrexone doses received. Although women may have a greater need for additional support in managing early adverse effects, extended-release naltrexone as an adjunct to psychosocial treatment may be an acceptable and promising treatment approach for both men and women, and particularly for women prescribed extended-release naltrexone for alcohol use. This study contributes further information on patients' experiences during the early course of extended-release naltrexone treatment in real-world settings. Understanding these experiences may assist policy makers and treatment providers in addressing challenges of implementing this treatment into wider practice.
authors.affiliation: a Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, University of California , Los Angeles , California , USA.
authors.forename: Diane M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Herbeck
authors.affiliation: a Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, University of California , Los Angeles , California , USA.
authors.forename: Kira E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Jeter
authors.affiliation: a Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, University of California , Los Angeles , California , USA.
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Cousins
authors.affiliation: a Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, University of California , Los Angeles , California , USA.|b Kasr AlAiny School of Medicine, Cairo University , Cairo , Egypt.
authors.forename: Reham
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abdelmaksoud
authors.affiliation: a Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, University of California , Los Angeles , California , USA.
authors.forename: Desirée
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crèvecoeur-MacPhail
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D012737:Sex Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009271:Naltrexone
keywords: Gender differences; alcohol; naltrexone; opioid; substance use disorder treatment