中華心理衛生協會

 Purpose: Methamphetamine abuse is a world-wide problem that lacks promising interventions. We designed this study to identify the factors associated with treatment outcomes for methamphetamine abuse patients participating in a deferred prosecution treatment program for drug offenders in Taiwan. Methods: We conducted a retrospective case-control study at a psychiatric center in northern Taiwan. We recruited 916 methamphetamine abuse patients by reviewing their medical charts. We examined whether any of the following factors related to treatment completion: demographic data, self-report substance use records, physical and psychiatric comorbidities, lab data, and behavioral measures (impulsivity and stage of readiness of change). Chi-square tests and logistic regression were applied to test for differences between the completion and drop-out groups, and for gender analysis. Results: The treatment completion rate was 76.3%. Compared with the drop-out group, the completion group was significantly older, and more likely to be married or in a relationship, to have a job, and to be less impulsive. The completion group also had a significantly lower positivity rate on their first urine test and a lower percentage of peer heroin use. Treatment completion by female methamphetamine users was significantly positively correlated with age and significantly negatively correlated with impulsivity; for male users, treatment completion correlated significantly positively with relationship status, and significantly negatively with drinking history and impulsivity level. Conclusion: Gender and impulsivity influence the treatment completion rate of methamphetamine users. The results provide information to tailor intervention programs for methamphetamine abuse patients.