[en] Background/Aims: Heroin-assisted treatment (HAT) can improve the condition of heroin addicts still using street heroin after a methadone treatment. In Belgium, a new trial compared the efficacy of a HAT to existing methadone maintenance treatment. Methods: In this randomised controlled trial, HAT was limited to 12 months. Participants were assessed every 3 months. They were responders if they showed improvement on the level of street heroin use, health or criminal involvement. Results: 74 participants were randomised in the trial. The experimental group (n=36) counted 30% of responders more than the control group (n=38) at each assessment point (p<0.05), except at 12 months where the difference (11%) was no longer significant (p=0.35). Still, after 12 months, participants in the experimental group reported significantly greater improvements (p<0.05) than the control group on the level of street heroin use and on the level of physical and mental health. Both groups reported significantly less criminal facts after 12 months (p<0.001), but with no significant difference between the groups. Conclusions: This trial confirms the short-term efficacy of HAT for severe heroin addicts, who already failed methadone treatment.
Disciplines :
Psychiatry Criminology Public health, health care sciences & services
Author, co-author :
Demaret, Isabelle ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cliniques > Psychiatrie et psychologie médicale
Quertemont, Etienne ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Psychologie : cognition et comportement > Psychologie quantitative
Litran, Géraldine; Université de Liège - ULiège > Service de Psychiatrie et Institut des sciences humaines et sociales (Criminologie)
Magoga, Cécile; Université de Liège - ULiège > Service de Psychiatrie et Institut des sciences humaines et sociales (Criminologie)
Deblire, Clémence; Université de Liège - ULiège > Service de Psychiatrie et Institut des sciences humaines et sociales (Criminologie)
DUBOIS, Nathalie ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Toxicologie clinique
De Roubaix, Jérôme; Université de Liège - ULiège > Service de Psychiatrie et Institut des sciences humaines et sociales (Criminologie)
Charlier, Corinne ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de pharmacie > Chimie toxicologique
Lemaître, André ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Institut des sciences humaines et sociales > Criminologie
Ansseau, Marc ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cliniques > Psychiatrie et psychologie médicale
Language :
English
Title :
Efficacy of heroin-assisted treatment in Belgium: a randomised controlled trial
Alternative titles :
[fr] Efficacité du traitement assisté par héroïne en Belgique : une étude contrôlée randomisée
Publication date :
01 April 2015
Journal title :
European Addiction Research
ISSN :
1022-6877
eISSN :
1421-9891
Publisher :
S. Karger
Volume :
21
Issue :
4
Pages :
179-187
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Name of the research project :
TADAM, un projet pilote de traitement assisté par diacétylmorphine (héroïne pharmaceutique)
Funders :
SPF Santé - Service Public Fédéral Santé publique. Sécurité de la Chaîne alimentaire et Environnement Liège - Ville de Liège ULiège - Université de Liège
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