Abstract
The quality of family relationships is important for individual and family well-being. Improving family relationships is also an important goal in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). Little is known about factors associated with the improvement of family relationships among MMT clients. This study aimed to identify factors associated with family relationship improvement in MMT. We retrospectively analyzed existing data from 2006 to 2014 at 15 MMT clinics in Guangdong, China, including 2171 subjects with 4691 follow-ups. Generalized estimating equations were used to investigate the association between living status transitions, behavior changes and family relationship improvement, with covariates controlled for. Family relationship improvement was found in 23.1% of all follow-up intervals. Participants who began living with family, living on a regular wage, and gained employment were more likely to have improved family relationships. The quality of family relationships also improved among participants who ceased contact with drug-addicted fellows, ceased drug use, and those who were sexually active. These results suggest that improvement in living status, positive changes in drug use, and sexual activity are associated with family relationship improvement and corresponding interventions may be developed to facilitate clients’ recovery.
Highlights
The association between social relationships and health has been long investigated [1,2,3]
Unlike previous studies which assessed status and behavior at a single moment in time, this study focused on the process of changes during maintenance treatment (MMT) and explored the association between living status transitions, behavior changes and family relationship improvement
This study focused on the living status transitions and behavior changes, which were identified during each follow-up interval if the presence or absence of a relevant variable differed from the previous one
Summary
The association between social relationships and health has been long investigated [1,2,3]. The quality of family relationships has significant impact on an individual’s and family’s well-being across the life course [4,5,6]. Empirical studies have provided compelling evidence linking a lower quality of family relationships with worse mental health, worse outcomes of chronic disease, and lower utilization of health services [7,8,9,10,11]. The family serves as the earliest context for individual development, so a strong family relationship is an important guarantee of family functions to support individual physical and mental growth [12,13,14].
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