Journal of substance abuse treatment
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J Subst Abuse Treat · Dec 2002
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialKetamine psychotherapy for heroin addiction: immediate effects and two-year follow-up.
Seventy detoxified heroin-addicted patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups receiving ketamine psychotherapy (KPT) involving two different doses of ketamine. The patients of the experimental group received existentially oriented psychotherapy in combination with a hallucinogenic ("psychedelic") dose of ketamine (2.0 mg/kg im). The patients of the control group received the same psychotherapy combined with a low, non-hallucinogenic (non-psychedelic), dose of ketamine (0.2 mg/kg im). ⋯ The results of this double blind randomized clinical trial of KPT for heroin addiction showed that high dose (2.0 mg/kg) KPT elicits a full psychedelic experience in heroin addicts as assessed quantitatively by the Hallucinogen Rating Scale. On the other hand, low dose KPT (0.2 mg/kg) elicits "sub-psychedelic" experiences and functions as ketamine-facilitated guided imagery. High dose KPT produced a significantly greater rate of abstinence in heroin addicts within the first two years of follow-up, a greater and longer-lasting reduction in craving for heroin, as well as greater positive change in nonverbal unconscious emotional attitudes than did low dose KPT.
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J Subst Abuse Treat · Dec 2002
Gender differences in detoxification: predictors of completion and re-admission.
This study examined the medical records of 2595 consecutive admissions over a 3-year period to an inpatient mixed-gender, hospital-based alcohol and drug detoxification unit. Women reported a significantly different pattern of primary drug use, a younger age, a different pattern of referral sources, and higher rates of parenting status and unemployment. In addition, females were administered prescription medication and medical evaluation tests at a significantly higher rate than males. ⋯ Risk factors for re-admission to inpatient detoxification included: alcohol as a primary drug of choice, residential instability, multiple drug use, single marital status, unemployment, an older age (> 37 years), and treatment dropout at Time 1 in the study. For both the final prediction models, gender was not a significant factor. The treatment implications of these findings are discussed.
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J Subst Abuse Treat · Mar 2000
Estimating the willingness to pay for drug abuse treatment: a pilot study.
Previous economic studies of the benefits of drug treatment have limited their estimation to tangible benefits, and thus have underestimated the benefits of drug treatment. The willingness-to-pay (WTP) approach is a more encompassing benefit valuation method that captures both tangible and intangible benefits and accords with valuation concepts used by economists. In this study, we report the results of a pilot study in which we used the contingent valuation (CV) method to value drug treatment. ⋯ We modeled respondents' WTP for drug treatment as a function of their demographics and to responses from attitudinal/experience questions. The mean WTP for both types of drug treatment programs was estimated to be approximately $37 per respondent. Finally, we demonstrated how the results of the CV method may be used in a benefit-cost analysis of drug treatment.
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J Subst Abuse Treat · Jul 1999
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyRetention of homeless clients in substance abuse treatment. Findings from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Cooperative Agreement Program.
Retaining clients in treatment who are homeless presents a particular challenge for substance abuse treatment providers. A National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Cooperative Agreement Program offered the first opportunity to systematically study program retention in a multisite study of interventions for homeless persons with alcohol and other drug problems. ⋯ Key findings were that (a) retention problems with homeless clients are as or more pervasive than in the general addicted population; (b) the provision of housing increases retention, but the increases tend to be nullified when the housing is bundled with high-intensity services; (c) homeless clients leave treatment programs for a multitude of reasons; and (d) midcourse corrections to increase retention are frequently successful. The discussion focuses on service components related to retention, the importance of attending to phase transitions, and the importance of being programmatically responsive when serving this population.