Factors Associated With Relapse in Individuals With Opioid Use Disorder Receiving Suboxone in Rural Areas

Opioid use disorder (OUD), including opioid misuse, abuse, and overdose, has evolved into a national crisis with a lasting effect on society, individuals, and health care systems. Although an office-based treatment of Suboxone combined with counseling is a viable option for individuals with OUD and has been shown to reduce utilization of medical services, the relapse rate among those individuals remains high. There is a need to investigate factors associated with relapse to tailor treatment programs in an effort to prevent relapse. This study aimed to examine factors associated with relapse in individuals with OUD receiving Suboxone.

A convenience sample was recruited from an outpatient Suboxone facility located in a rural county of New York. Measures included urine drug testing obtained through the medical record, patterns of time to relapse as measured by the Time to Relapse Questionnaire, pain intensity, and a demographic questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, independent t test, and chi-square statistics were utilized for data analysis.

Forty-six patients participated in the study. Length of time in a Suboxone program, scores in sudden and long delay relapse, and the type of treatment program were statistically associated with relapse.

This study provided insight regarding factors contributing to relapse and different time-to-relapse styles that could be incorporated into clinical practice to help prevent relapse.