Drug and Alcohol Findings. (2019) Therapy ‘toolbox’ helps rescue poorly recovering patients at London maintenance clinic. London: Drug and Alcohol Findings.
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External website: https://findings.org.uk/PHP/dl.php?file=Marsden_J_...
Instead of a set programme, a clinic in London tried offering methadone or buprenorphine patients still using heroin or cocaine a selection from a suite of well-supported psychological interventions tailored to the patient and then systematically re-tailored in the light of how they responded. It worked – but did it work well enough, and would the findings be replicated in more typical circumstances?
Key points from summary and commentary
- A personalised psychosocial intervention was trialled for opioid-dependent patients being prescribed methadone or buprenorphine on a maintenance basis but who were still using heroin or cocaine.
- Distinct from most other trials of additional psychosocial therapies, instead of a set programme, in this trial the interventions were selected from a ‘toolbox’ to match the patient’s needs and preferences and adapted in the light of how they responded.
- Compared to usual treatment, among patients randomly allocated to this approach there were greater reductions in heroin and cocaine use and improvements in health-related quality of life, making the interventions cost-effective according to some accepted yardsticks. However, these findings which emerged in relatively ideal rather than typical circumstances.
HJ Treatment or recovery method > Counselling
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Patient / client care management
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Treatment and maintenance > Treatment factors
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Treatment and maintenance > Patient / client attitude toward treatment (experience)
T Demographic characteristics > Counsellor / Therapist
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