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Mood, primary heroin withdrawal, and acute methadone administration
The International Journal of the Addictions
|January 1, 1975
Summary
Methadone significantly reduces mood disturbance in heroin addicts during detoxification. High anger levels before treatment predict a lower chance of completing detoxification.
Area of Science:
- Addiction Medicine
- Psychopharmacology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Opioid withdrawal presents significant challenges in detoxification.
- Understanding the psychological impact of withdrawal is crucial for treatment.
- Methadone is a common pharmacological intervention for opioid dependence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the internal state of addicts during primary withdrawal.
- To assess the impact of methadone on withdrawal-related mood disturbances.
- To identify predictors of successful detoxification completion.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-seven heroin addicts undergoing methadone detoxification were assessed.
- The Profile of Mood States (POMS) was administered pre- and post-methadone.
- Factor analysis was used to examine mood state structures.
- Anger subscale scores were analyzed as predictors of detoxification completion.
Main Results:
- Methadone administration led to a significant decrease in overall mood disturbance (p < .0001).
- Mood states shifted from a two-factor structure to a unified state post-methadone.
- Pre-methadone Anger scores were a significant predictor of detoxification completion (p < .005).
Conclusions:
- Methadone effectively alleviates acute withdrawal-induced mood disturbances in heroin addicts.
- Pre-treatment anger is a key factor influencing treatment adherence.
- These findings have implications for tailoring detoxification protocols.