Abstract
: This study was designed to examine the extent to which heroin-dependent and prescription opioid-dependent adolescents experienced differential outcomes during a clinical trial designed to evaluate combined behavioral-pharmacological treatment. : Participants were a volunteer sample of 36 adolescents who met DSM-IV criteria for opioid-dependence (ages 13-18 years eligible), 53% of which were heroin-dependent and 47% of which were dependent on prescription opioids used for nonmedical purposes. Participants received a 28-day, outpatient, medication-assisted withdrawal with the partial opioid agonist, buprenorphine, or the centrally active μ-adrenergic blocker, clonidine, along with behavioral counseling and incentives contingent on opioid abstinence. Heroin-dependent and prescription opioid-dependent participants were compared on baseline characteristics and treatment outcomes, which included retention, opioid abstinence, HIV risk behavior, opioid withdrawal, and medication effects. : Heroin-dependent and prescription opioid-dependent youth had similar characteristics at intake. Heroin-dependent youth had higher baseline rates of drug-related HIV risk behavior and greater opioid withdrawal before receiving medication during treatment; however, this same group showed markedly greater improvements on these domains during treatment relative to prescription opioid-dependent youth. Both participant groups showed comparable outcomes based on clinically meaningful measures of treatment retention and opioid abstinence. Both heroin-dependent and prescription opioid-dependent youth who received buprenorphine experienced markedly better treatment outcomes relative to those who received clonidine. : These results demonstrate that combined behavioral and buprenorphine treatment seems safe and efficacious in the treatment of both heroin-dependent and prescription opioid-dependent adolescents and provide novel information relating to treatment outcomes for these subgroups of opioid-dependent youth.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
