European Addiction Research最新文献

{"title":"Diversion of diacetylmorphine in heroin-assisted treatment - a focus group study among patients and treatment providers.","authors":"Elisabeth Strickler, Zacharias Wicki, Jean N Westenberg, Johannes Strasser, Undine E Lang, Kenneth M Dürsteler, Maximilian Meyer, Marc Vogel","doi":"10.1159/000545162","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000545162","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Heroin-assisted treatment (HAT) involves the supervised administration of pharmaceutical heroin (diacetylmorphine, DAM), either injectable or oral, for individuals with severe opioid use disorder who have not achieved stabilization with conventional opioid agonist treatment. Despite its growing adoption, there is limited literature on the phenomenon of diversion in HAT. Diversion refers to the redirecting of legal prescription medications from their intended medical use to illegal or unauthorised use. This study aims to investigate the reasons for, experiences with, and consequences of DAM diversion, as reported by both patients and treatment providers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this qualitative study, two separate focus groups were conducted with patients and treatment providers (nurses, psychiatrists, social workers, and psychologists) respectively. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed. Mayring's qualitative content analysis was used to evaluate findings.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Five themes with fourteen categories emerged. Providers and patients both described procedures and motives of diversion, discussed the positive and negative consequences, and suggested solutions for reduced future diversion of DAM. An important motif for diversion stemmed from patients' urge for more autonomy over route, timing, and fractioning of administration, while also being used to finance concurrent cocaine use. Treatment providers and patients both noted that diversion may lead to increased overdose risk for individuals in and out of treatment. Nurses noted a substantial negative impact of diversion on the therapeutic relationship. Suggestions for reducing diversion included allowing for more take-home dosing, allowing for more flexibility in routes of administration, adapting HAT clinic opening hours, and providing effective treatment for cocaine use disorder.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The main drivers of diversion in HAT included a desire for more autonomy, unaddressed concurrent substance use, and significant barriers to the existing treatment options. Addressing patients' preferred opioid effect profile, accommodating their social needs, and managing concurrent cocaine use disorder may reduce diversion in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":11902,"journal":{"name":"European Addiction Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-20"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143623965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring Associations between Cannabis Prices, Stores, and Usage after Recreational Legalization.","authors":"Michael J Armstrong","doi":"10.1159/000544104","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000544104","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Canada legalized recreational cannabis in October 2018, but commercial retailing took time to develop. This study first explored how self-reported cannabis use prevalence, daily use, product type use, and age of initial use changed during 2019-2023. It then analyzed whether the changes were associated with rising store numbers or falling prices.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data on store counts, retail pricing, and cannabis use came from government reports covering 10 provinces over 5 years. Panel data linear regressions analyzed 50 province-year aggregated observations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were no significant changes in prevalence among males and people aged 16-24 or in the proportion using cannabis daily. Prevalence among females and people aged 25+ increased; those levels showed negative associations with prices but not stores. Dried cannabis use decreased, while edibles use increased; those also showed associations with prices but not stores. Mean initial age of use increased; it was negatively associated with prices and positively with stores.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Canada's large cannabis retail expansion was accompanied by relatively modest usage changes, most of which showed associations with falling prices but not rising store counts.</p>","PeriodicalId":11902,"journal":{"name":"European Addiction Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143585156","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cognitive Function among People with Severe Substance Use.","authors":"Nina Auestad, Stig Tore Bogstrand, Odd Martin Vallersnes, Anners Lerdal, Linda Elise Couëssurel Wüsthoff","doi":"10.1159/000543755","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000543755","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Studies report a high variability of cognitive impairment in people who use drugs, ranging from 20% to 80%. Most research focuses on individuals who use drugs who are either admitted to treatment facilities or incarcerated and being abstinent from substances. The present study aimed to assess cognitive function among populations with ongoing, severe, habitual substance use, mimicking a real-world day-to-day situation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Cross-sectional design with 171 participants (70.2% male) with severe substance use, recruited from two sites in Oslo, Norway. All participants were screened for cognitive function using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). A cutoff of <26 points was used to classify possible cognitive impairment. Participants also provided information on their alcohol and substance use, as well as demographic data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>74.9% of the participants scored below the MoCA cutoff for possible cognitive impairment. We did not find any associations between scoring below the MoCA cutoff <26 and the substance use variables (substance use, number of substances used, history of overdoses, injection drug use, and past substance use treatment).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A high proportion of people with severe substance use may experience a functional cognitive impairment. This study provides novel insights into cognitive function within a population actively engaged in habitual substance use, offering a real-world perspective with high external validity. This knowledge is highly relevant for service providers who aim to deliver tailored follow-up services to this population outside of traditional treatment settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":11902,"journal":{"name":"European Addiction Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143122605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effectiveness of Machine Learning-Based Adjustments to an eHealth Intervention Targeting Mild Alcohol Use.","authors":"Marloes Derksen, Max van Beek, Matthijs Blankers, Hamed Nasri, Tamara de Bruijn, Nick Lommerse, Guido van Wingen, Steffen Pauws, Anna E Goudriaan","doi":"10.1159/000543252","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000543252","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>This study aimed to evaluate effects of three machine learning based adjustments made to an eHealth intervention for mild alcohol use disorder, regarding (a) early dropout, (b) participation duration, and (c) success in reaching personal alcohol use goals. Additionally, we aimed to replicate earlier machine learning analyses.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used three cohorts of observational log data from the Jellinek Digital Self-help intervention. First, a cohort before implementation of adjustments (T0; n = 320); second, a cohort after implementing two adjustments (i.e., sending daily emails in the first week and nudging participants towards a \"no alcohol use\" goal; T1; n = 146); third, a cohort comprising the prior adjustments complemented with eliminated time constraints to reaching further in the intervention (T2; n = 236).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found an increase in participants reaching further in the intervention, yet an increase in early dropout after implementing all adjustments. Moreover, we found that more participants aimed for a quit goal, whilst participation duration declined at T2. Intervention success increased, yet not significantly. Lastly, machine learning demonstrated reliability for outcome prediction in smaller datasets of an eHealth intervention.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Strong correlates as indicated by machine learning analyses were found to affect goal setting and use of an eHealth program for alcohol use problems.</p>","PeriodicalId":11902,"journal":{"name":"European Addiction Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142876579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ESCAPE Study: Cannabidiol Use in Patients Treated for Substance Use Disorders, Prevalence of Use, and Characteristics of Users.","authors":"Mélanie Duval, Marion Istvan, Morgane Rousselet, Edouard-Jules Laforgue, Marie Grall-Bronnec, Claire Mauriat, Caroline Victorri-Vigneau","doi":"10.1159/000541887","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000541887","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the two primary phytocannabinoids found in cannabis. Its diverse pharmacological properties suggest potential benefits for a wide range of medical conditions. The primary objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of CBD use among patients being treated for substance use disorder. Additionally, we aimed to characterize the pattern of CBD use and describe the profiles of users.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Patients admitted to two substance use disorder departments between May 6, 2020, and July 23, 2021, were included in the study. Sociodemographic, medical and substance use data, including CBD use, were collected. A multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was performed to identify substance uses most frequently correlated with CBD use. Multivariate analyses were also conducted to identify factors associated with CBD use.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of CBD use in the past 12 months among the 183 patients was 38.2%. However, at the time of the study, 63% had stopped using CBD, primarily due to its perceived ineffectiveness and cost. CBD was commonly consumed via inhalation, either by smoking the plant or using e-cigarette liquids. The MCA revealed that while there is no typical profile of CBD users, they were more likely to use sedative substances rather than stimulants. CBD users were younger and more likely to have psychiatric comorbidities.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The prevalence of CBD use was notably high. Given the significant risk of drug interactions with CBD and its wide variability in composition, it is crucial for clinicians to routinely inquire about CBD use. The potential for self-therapeutic or recreational use in these patients appears to be underestimated.</p>","PeriodicalId":11902,"journal":{"name":"European Addiction Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142767008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring Recovery Priorities in Inpatient Addiction Treatment: A Q-Methodological Study.","authors":"Esther Pars, Joanneke E L VanDerNagel, Boukje A G Dijkstra, Arnt F A Schellekens","doi":"10.1159/000542371","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000542371","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) is increasingly recognized as a personal journey, necessitating an approach that considers individual goals and priorities. Research on recovery priorities in inpatient settings is limited. Our study employs Q-methodology to explore recovery priorities among clients with multimorbid SUD, aiming to guide targeted, recovery-oriented care.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study employed Q-methodology to explore recovery priorities among 129 individuals entering inpatient addiction treatment. A collaboratively developed Q-set of 42 statements covered clinical, functional, and personal recovery goals. Participants ranked statements by importance, and rotated factor analysis was used to identify clusters of recovery priorities. Qualitative interview data were then analyzed for further interpretation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found 12 consensus statements and two distinct factors. Factor 1 (n = 60) emphasized personal growth and coping, while factor 2 (n = 51) highlighted practical aspects such as securing income and housing. Qualitative data supported these findings.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Despite the individual nature of recovery and the diversity within the addiction treatment population, our study identified shared goals and two distinct factors. This insight can inform tailored interventions, with factor 1 individuals potentially favoring psychological approaches and factor 2 individuals focusing on practical goals.</p>","PeriodicalId":11902,"journal":{"name":"European Addiction Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142767075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global Assessment of Training Needs in Addiction Medicine.","authors":"Cornelis A J DeJong, Gabrielle Welle-Strand, Enjeline Hanafi, Lucas Pinxten, Roshan Bhad, Shalini Arunogiri","doi":"10.1159/000542182","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000542182","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>A minority of addiction patients receive appropriate treatment directly from trained professionals in addiction medicine. Most countries have not recognized addiction medicine (AM) as a specialty in its own right or within psychiatry/other specialties. Therefore, the effectiveness and organization of AM training around the world need to be improved. Unfortunately, standard instruments are rarely used in most studies to assess training needs. This study aimed to determine international competencies in AM among professionals in as many countries as possible using a standard instrument such as the AM Training Needs Assessment (AM-TNA).</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We examined competencies in AM with the AM-TNA using an online survey. A General Competency Level in Addiction Medicine (GLOCIAM30) was calculated by dividing the total score by the number of 30 items. This GLOCIAM30 was used to measure the general level of competency in AM and to compare individual competencies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>One hundred ninety-nine respondents from 45 countries completed the survey. Ninety-five of the 199 respondents (49.0%) had a GLOCIAM30 higher or equal to 4 (fairly competent). The highest skill level was found for the competency \"Assessing substance use problems by taking the patient's history.\" Nine of the 45 countries had 8 or more respondents (n = 129). After post hoc analysis, there was no difference between these countries. Respondents could reasonably estimate whether the competency level in their country was higher or lower than the world average.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study is the first international attempt to examine competencies in AM. Although a much larger study population is needed to establish an overall goal for competencies in AM, our study provided an initial direction for such a gold standard in benchmarking procedures.</p>","PeriodicalId":11902,"journal":{"name":"European Addiction Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142686392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Words versus Strands: Reliability and Stability of Concordance Rates of Self-Reported and Hair-Analyzed Substance Use of Young Adults over Time.","authors":"Clarissa Janousch, Lukas Eggenberger, Annekatrin Steinhoff, Lydia Johnson-Ferguson, Laura Bechtiger, Michelle Loher, Denis Ribeaud, Manuel Eisner, Markus R Baumgartner, Tina M Binz, Lilly Shanahan, Boris B Quednow","doi":"10.1159/000541713","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000541713","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Introduction: &lt;/strong&gt;Population-level substance use research primarily relies on self-reports, which often underestimate actual use. Hair analyses offer a more objective estimate; however, longitudinal studies examining concordance are lacking. Previous studies showed that specific psychological and behavioral characteristics are associated with a higher likelihood of underreporting substance use, but the longitudinal stability of these associations remains unclear. We compared the prevalence of illegal and non-medical prescription substance use assessed with self-reports and hair analyses and predicted underreporting across two time points.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Data were drawn from a community cohort study. At the first time point, the sample with self-report and hair analysis comprised 1,002 participants (Mage = 20.6 [SD = 0.38] years, 50.2% female), of which 761 (Mage = 24.5 [SD = 0.38] years, 48.3% female) also provided hair at the second time point. We compared substance use 3-month prevalence rates assessed by self-reports and hair analyses for the most frequent substances cannabis/tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), amphetamines, Ecstasy/3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), cocaine, ketamine, codeine, and opioid painkillers. Binary logistic regressions were conducted to test behavioral and psychological predictors of underreporting.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Self-reported past-year prevalence rates of non-medical substance use were high, specifically for cannabis (56% prevalence rate at age 20/49% at age 24), Ecstasy (13%/14%), codeine (13%/11%), cocaine (12%/13%), and opioid painkillers (4%/11%). Comparing self-report and hair-analysis 3-month prevalence rates over time, consistent underreporting (similar underreporting rates between time points and investigation of false negatives) was observed for daily cannabis (22%/23%), Ecstasy/MDMA (41%/52%), cocaine (30%/60%), ketamine (61%/72%), and codeine use (48%/51%). Underreporting of Ecstasy/MDMA, cocaine, ketamine, and opioid painkillers significantly increased. Contrarily, weekly to daily cannabis (31%/18%), amphetamine (95%/11%), and opioid painkiller use (12%/66%) were overreported. Hair analysis-derived 3-month prevalence rates of cocaine (9%/23%) and ketamine (2%/6%) strongly increased over time, while decreasing for codeine (11%/8%). Balanced accuracies were higher for hair analysis compared to self-reports for daily cannabis, Ecstasy/MDMA, cocaine, ketamine, and codeine but lower for weekly to daily cannabis and amphetamines, while fairly similar for opioid painkillers. Accuracy metrics were largely stable for cannabis measures but partially varied over time for other substances, which was likely driven by the large changes in underreporting. False negative reports were associated across both time points, indicating an intra-individual consistency of underreporting. At both time points, delinquency and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms were ","PeriodicalId":11902,"journal":{"name":"European Addiction Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142675474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychometric Evaluation of the Dutch Version of the Substance Use Recovery Evaluator (SURE-NL).","authors":"Charlotte Migchels, Wim van den Brink, Amine Zerrouk, Frieda I A Matthys, Clara De Ruysscher, Dries Debeer, Wouter Vanderplasschen, Cleo Lina Crunelle","doi":"10.1159/000541584","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000541584","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are an important source of information that allow for a patient-centered assessment. Outcome measurement of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment traditionally focuses on drug use and deficits in functioning, overlooking other aspects of the personal and dynamic process of recovery. The substance use recovery evaluator (SURE) is a PROM developed with service user input to monitor the recovery journey and assess treatment outcomes in people with SUD. The objective of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Dutch translation of the SURE, the SURE-NL, for measuring indicators of recovery in Dutch-speaking patients with SUD.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The original SURE questionnaire was translated from English to Dutch using forward-backward translation. A total of N = 171 participants were recruited as part of a naturalistic multicenter study in inpatient (N = 149) and outpatient (N = 22) SUD treatment centers. We examined the factorial structure, reliability, and concurrent and discriminant validity of the SURE-NL.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The original 5-factor structure of the SURE showed acceptable fit for the SURE-NL, and internal consistencies of the subscales ranged from 0.61 to 0.76; internal consistency of the total score was 0.83. Concurrent validity was confirmed through positive correlations of the SURE-NL total and subscale scores with the WHOQoL-BREF subscales, but correlations varied depending on subscale and treatment setting, with higher correlations for the outpatient compared to the inpatient subgroup. Discriminant validity was confirmed through low, mostly non-significant correlations between the SURE-NL and the DASS-21.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Although the SURE was originally designed for outpatient settings, our findings in a predominantly inpatient sample indicate that the SURE-NL is suitable for assessing personal recovery and recovery capital in Dutch-speaking Belgian patients with SUD. However, subscales should be used and interpreted with caution. Further research is needed with larger Dutch-speaking outpatient samples and the development of a tailored SURE for inpatient settings should be considered.</p>","PeriodicalId":11902,"journal":{"name":"European Addiction Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142616914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Patients with Opioid Use Disorder Choosing Treatment with Extended-Release Naltrexone: A 6-Month Naturalistic Study.","authors":"Ida Halvorsen Brenna, Karin Merethe Waleur, Jūratė Šaltytė Benth, Kristin K Solli, Jon Mordal, Else-Marie Løberg, Bente Weimand, Lars Tanum","doi":"10.1159/000541431","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000541431","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The treatment efficacy of extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) for opioid use disorder (OUD) has been demonstrated in several studies, but not in naturalistic settings where opioid agonist treatment (OAT) is freely accessible. This study aimed to examine the different treatment outcomes of XR-NTX in a setting where the participants freely chose XR-NTX as a treatment option instead of OAT.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a 24-week open-label clinical prospective cohort study conducted in an outpatient setting at five hospitals in Norway. The study included 161 participants aged 18-65 years with OUD. Intramuscular injections of XR-NTX were administered every 4 weeks for 24 weeks. Measurements included retention in treatment, reasons for treatment discontinuation, days of use of opioids, other illicit substances and alcohol, level of heroin craving, treatment satisfaction, and adverse events (AEs).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 161 included participants, the mean age was 38 years, and 24% were women; 138 received at least one dose of the study medication (modified intention-to-treat [MITT] population), and mean time in treatment was 18.1 weeks (95% CI: 16.8-19.4). The majority of the MITT population (84; 60.9%) completed 24 weeks of treatment in the study. There was a significant decrease in the overall use of opioids (p < 0.001) and the use of alcohol, and other illicit substances were low. The participants generally reported high treatment satisfaction and low heroin cravings. Those who completed the 24 weeks of treatment reported significantly fewer days of opioid use (p < 0.001) and higher treatment satisfaction (p < 0.001) than those who discontinued treatment before 24 weeks. No serious AEs were directly related to XR-NTX use.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study demonstrated high retention rates, decreased opioid use, and low use of other illicit substances and alcohol. Participants also reported low cravings for heroin and high treatment satisfaction. Completion of the full 24-week treatment resulted in lower opioid use and increased treatment satisfaction compared to those who discontinued treatment before 24 weeks. The observed higher retention and reduced opioid use, compared to other studies, may be attributed to participants' strong motivation for opioid abstinence facilitated by XR-NTX treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":11902,"journal":{"name":"European Addiction Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142575065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}