The Effect of Methadone Maintenance Treatment Method on Mental Health and Quality of Life in People With Opioid Addiction: A Longitudinal Study in Iran

Objectives: Promoting recovery in mental health of patients with opioid addiction is an important aspect of the treatment plan, which can lead to continued improvement of health and promotion of quality of life (QoL) in these people. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) method on mental health and QoL in people with opioid addiction. Methods: In this longitudinal descriptive study, 186 subjects with opioid addiction had the required criteria and were then selected on the basis of clustering and simple random sampling methods. First (a month after using methadone therapy), demographic, QoL, and mental health data were collected using General Health Questionnaire and health-related quality of life questionnaires. Second (12 mo after using methadone therapy), mental health and QoL of participants were again evaluated. Data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics 20, and Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon tests. Results: The results showed that there is no improvement after using MMT method (P=0.783), but the QoL scores of the participants increased to some extent, 12 months after using this therapeutic method (P=0.04). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the MMT method does not significantly affect the health of the participants. Hence, screening programs for psychological disorders in patients should be arranged before the onset of a course of treatment; there should also be extensive and continuous therapeutic and counseling services for these patients and their families, to achieve therapeutic goals.