Clinical efficacy of methadone maintenance treatment and the dual diagnosis client

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of psychiatric co-morbidity on nine selected outcome measures of methadone maintenance treatment efficacy in an integrated methadone maintenance program (MMTP).;The study evaluated 219 integrated methadone maintenance clients who were enrolled in treatment for a minimum of one year. The two groups differed in the presence of psychiatric co-morbidity.;Group "1" comprised of the Psychoactive Drug Use-only clients. The clients within this group were diagnosed with only one Axis I disorder, Psychoactive Drug Use. The diagnosis was made as per DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, and, determined by a Board Certified Addiction Psychiatrist within the first 90 days of treatment.;Group "2" comprised of the Dual Diagnosis clients. The clients within this group were diagnosed with both, Psychiatric and Psychoactive Drug Use diagnoses, as determined by a Board Certified Addiction Psychiatrist within the first 90 days of treatment.;These two groups were compared utilizing urine toxicology tests positive for illicit substance use, program attendance schedule at MMTP, and Addiction Severity Index (ASI) composite scores. It is hypothesized that on these outcome parameters, both sets of groups will demonstrate improvement but, that the Dual Diagnosis clients will demonstrate poorer performance compared to the Psychoactive Drug Use-only clients.;Results concluded that both groups did demonstrate improvement to personal baseline on specified outcome parameters over the course of one year in treatment as initially hypothesized. However, the Dual Diagnosis clients did not demonstrate poorer performance on all treatment outcomes compared to the Psychoactive Drug Use-only clients, as hypothesized.