Effects of psychological counseling intervention on increasing methadone dosage and reducing heroin use among patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment

Abstract

To learn about the effects of psychological counseling intervention on reducing heroin use, increasing methadone dosage and improving compliance rate of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). Subjects who had had at least one positive result for regular urine morphine tests during the past three months were recruited from 16 MMT clinics. During the three-month intervention period, the subjects received regular psychological counseling provided by doctors (once every other week) and peer education (once a week). Positive rates of urine morphine tests, average days receiving MMT during three months before the intervention and during the intervention, and average daily dosage of methadone during the last week before intervention and during the last week of the intervention programs conducted were recorded and compared. A total of 492 patients receiving MMT were surveyed. There were significant changes in positive rates for urine morphine tests, average daily dosage, and average days on MMT before and during the intervention programs. The positive rate for urine morphine tests dropped from 50.1% to 27.1%; the average daily dosage of methadone increased from 63.0 mg to 72.6 mg; the average days receiving MMT increased from 69.4 days to 73.9 days. Intensive psychological counseling intervention was effective in reducing heroin use, increasing methadone dosage and improving compliance rate of MMT among patients receiving MMT.