Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2026

A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence
Published on: March 23, 2022
Prediction of abstinence in opioid-dependent patients
Boukje A G Dijkstra1, Cor A J De Jong, Paul F M Krabbe
1From the *Novadic-Kentron, Network for Addiction Treatment Services, Vught, The Netherlands; †Nijmegen Institute for Scientist-Practitioners in Addiction (NISPA), Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; ‡Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Health Technology Assessment, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; and §Department of Clinical Psychology, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Objectives:
: Opioid detoxification with subsequent naltrexone is found to be an effective method as the first step in an abstinence-oriented approach. The aim of this study is to investigate the predictive value of variables for abstinence in opioid-dependent patients.
Methods:
: Opioid-dependent patients were followed up to 1 month after detoxification. Predictor variables were assessed at baseline, during detoxification, and at discharge. Primary outcome was abstinence assessed by analyzing urine samples and self-reports. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of abstinence.
Results:
: Of 272 participants, 211 could be rated as abstinent (59.2%) or nonabstinent (40.8%) at 1 month follow-up. Significant baseline predictors were severity score of justice/police (ASI) and physical quality of life (SF-36); discharge predictors were general quality of health (SF-36) and sleeping problems (SCL-90); change in sleeping problems (SCL-90) during detoxification was also a predictor. The explained variance of these predictors was very low and clinical significance was limited.
Conclusions:
: Considering the results it seems not possible to predict who will be abstinent or not 1 month after detoxification. Because rapid detoxification is found to be an effective detoxification method in selected patients, it seems warranted to recommend that patients with similar characteristics (ie, patients motivated for an abstinence-based treatment and low non-drug-related severity scores on the ASI) should be regarded as eligible for rapid detoxification.
Related Concept Videos
Analgesia and Pain Management
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
Drug Dependence
Opioid Analgesics: Morphine and Other Natural Cogeners
Opioid Receptors: Overview

