Correlates of Loitering at a Methadone Clinic

Abstract An eight-item questionnaire was administered to 55 patients of a Canadian methadone clinic (34 men, 21 women) to self-rate their desire to relax in or around the clinic, chat with peers, enjoy the sense of community with fellow addicts, and rate the relative importance they may attribute to this part of their daily routine. Total score for loitering tendency was significantly correlated to scores on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (r = .39) and on the Drug Abuse Screening Test (r = .29) but not to results of urine tests for cocaine, opiates, and benzodiazepines, or to the psychopathology scales of the Symptom Checklist-90–Revised, or to age or sex. The loitering may express an unmet need for peer support.