The experience of long-term opiate maintenance treatment and reported barriers to recovery: a qualitative systematic review
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Caitlin Notley1, Annie Blyth, Vivienne Maskrey
1Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
Background/Aim:
To inform understanding of the experience of long-term opiate maintenance and identify barriers to recovery.
Methods:
A qualitative systematic review.
Results:
14 studies in 17 papers, mainly from the USA (65%), met inclusion criteria, involving 1,088 participants. Studies focused on methadone prescribing. Participants reported stability; however, many disliked methadone. Barriers to full recovery were primarily 'inward focused'.
Conclusion:
This is the first review of qualitative literature on long-term maintenance, finding that universal service improvements could be made to address reported barriers to recovery, including involving ex-users as positive role models, and increasing access to psychological support. Treatment policies combining harm minimisation and abstinence-orientated approaches may best support individualised recovery.
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