Characteristics and treatment outcome of older methadone-maintenance patients
Characteristics and treatment outcome of older methadone-maintenance patients
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DOI：
10.1176/appi.ajgp.12.5.539
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发表时间：
2004-09-01
影响因子：
7.2
通讯作者：
Carlson, G
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Firoz, S;Carlson, G
目标：美国有超过 160, 000 人接受美沙酮维持治疗。调查显示，这些患者中有 5% 至 6% 的年龄超过 55 岁。作者根据美沙酮项目的调查推测，与年轻患者相比，55 岁以上的美沙酮患者出现医疗和精神问题的几率更高，失业率也更高，并且治疗效果较差。方法：作者回顾了中西部美沙酮维持项目的 759 名连续入院患者。结果：出乎意料发现 55 岁以上的患者 (N=54) 在医疗和精神问题或就业方面与年轻患者没有什么不同；他们更有可能结婚，并且在治疗中表现更好。结论：事实上，老年美沙酮患者的问题可能较少，并且治疗效果良好。这一发现对于为这些患者服务的美沙酮计划的资源分配具有影响。
Objective: There are over 160, 000 persons receiving methadone maintenance treatment in the United States. Surveys indicate that 5 % to 6% of these patients are older than age 55. Authors hypothesized, from a survey of methadone programs, that methadone patients older than age 55 would have higher rates of medical and psychiatric problems and higher rates of unemployment, and would do less well in treatment, as compared with their younger counterparts.Methods: Authors reviewed 759 consecutive admissions to a Midwestern methadone-maintenance program.Results: It was unexpectedly found that patients older than age 55 (N=54) were not different from their younger counterparts in terms of medical and psychiatric problems or employment; they were more likely to be married, and did significantly better in treatment.Conclusions: Older methadone patients may, infact, have fewer problems and do well in treatment. This finding has implications regarding allocation of resources for methadone programs serving these patients.