- Perceptions of Methadone Maintained Clients about Barriers and Facilitators to Help-Seeking Behavior
What Is The Purpose of This Study?
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• To obtain perspectives of methadone clients (n = 41) who were also heavy drinkers on the barriers and facilitators to seeking medical assistance to improve their own health.
What Is the Problem?
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• There are over 3 million Americans aged 12 or older who are dependent on or abuse both illicit drugs and alcohol. Fewer than 25% of these users enter drug or alcohol treatment, however.
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• Little research exists that describes the barriers and facilitators to seeking medical assistance among this population of drug and alcohol users.
What Are the Findings?
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• Clients felt stigmatized and "looked down upon" by medical providers and, as a result, often chose not to tell providers they were on methadone maintenance.
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• Clients expressed an interest in having alcohol treatment offered within methadone clinics.
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• Nonjudgmental, empathetic care that fosters respect and facilitates help-seeking behavior were viewed as important, yet often lacking, characteristics of medical clinic staff
Who Should Care Most?
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• Methadone maintenance programs.
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• Substance abuse providers, physicians, and nurse-practitioners serving methadone-addicted clients.
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• Individuals responsible for training nursing, medical, and allied health professionals.
Recommendations for Action
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• Include alcohol addiction treatment in methadone maintenance programs, or have methadone maintenance programs more formally partner with external substance abuse treatment programs.
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• Provide education for health care and social service providers on alcohol and drug abuse, especially methadone, and create standards to increase provider expertise.
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• Provide funding for research to compare the treatment and outcomes, including patient/client satisfaction, of those treated in methadone settings versus treatment in private physicians' offices.