Psychosocial adjustment, modality choice, and outcome in naltrexone versus methadone treatment

Thirty naltrexone and 30 methadone patients in outpatient opiate addiction treatment were compared on pretreatment psychosocial adjustment and on short-term outcome in terms of drug abuse and retention. Also, the relationship between pretreatment psychosocial adjustment and outcome for the total sample was assessed. The naltrexone and methadone groups were generally not significantly different in pretreatment psychosocial adjustment. The two groups differed significantly in retention, but not in drug abuse outcome. Pretreatment drug abuse was significantly related to drug abuse outcome. No aspect of pretreatment psychosocial functioning was related to retention outcome. Treatment and research implications are discussed.