Background: The present study was conducted to estimate the association between measures of hope for the future and time to substance use relapse among people living with opioid dependence following their discharge from opioid detoxification programs.

Method: The data for this investigation were collected from a prospective cohort study of patients who completed detoxification in Ireland (N = 142). After baseline, participants completed follow-up visits at three, six and nine months. Cox regression models were used to analyze the association between measures of hope and time to relapse.

Results: Of the 142 participants included in this study, 43 (30.3%) were female and the mean duration of substance use was 14.3 years (standard deviation: 5.8). In the multivariable analysis, a five-unit increase in mean Trait Hope Scale scores was associated with a mean decrease of 23% in the Hazard Ratio of relapse following detoxification. In the sub-analysis, the hope-agency subdomain was significantly associated with lower rates of relapse, while the hope-pathway subdomain was not significantly associated with relapse rates.

Conclusions: In the present study, increased mean levels of hope were associated with slower rates of relapse among people living with opioid dependence following discharge from detoxification programs. These findings suggest that empowering people in recovery and providing additional support following services such as detoxification may be valuable strategies to reduce relapse rates among people living with opioid dependence.