Psychiatric severity and treatment response in a comprehensive methadone maintenance treatment program

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of the severity of concomitant psychiatric symptomatology on some selected measures of methadone maintenance treatment efficacy in a comprehensive methadone maintenance treatment program (MMTP). The cohort studied included 267 patients who entered a maintenance program in the years 1991-92. Two groups of patients differing in the severity of psychiatric symptomatology were obtained on the bases of the referral to the psychiatrist and the ascertainment of a current disorder. These two groups were compared for retention in treatment, urine tests positive for morphine while in treatment and methadone dose during an observation period of 2 years. The outcome of the study suggests that on these outcome parameters, patients on MMTP who are more psychiatrically ill can perform as well as the other patients.