THE EFFECTIVENESS OF METHADONE THERAPY IN REDUCING CRIMINOGENIC ACTS IN HEROIN ADDICTS
Keywords:
heroin addiction, methadone therapy, criminal activitiesAbstract
Heroin addiction is a widespread disease and represents a significant medical as well as social problem. It
is known that the use of heroin, in addition to health problems (somatic and mental), also leads to the occurrence of
criminal acts. According to certain studies, adequate methadone therapy as part of substitution therapy leads to a
reduction in the use of heroin among heroin addicts, that is, it enables their stabilization and thus to a reduction in
criminal acts. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of methadone therapy in the treatment of heroin
addicts in terms of reducing heroin use and criminal acts. MATERIJLS AND METHODS: The prospective study
included groups of male patients on methadone therapy (N=30) between 20-51 years evaluated in Day hospital of
heroin addicts-department of Psychiatric Hospital Skopje with Dg F11.22. The study was conducted for 3 years. All
participants gave written consent. The patients were assess using sociodemographic information by semi-structured
questionnaire specially designed for the study. The sociodemographic data was: marital status, education status,
employment and criminal activities .The frequency of use of heroin was determined through anamnesis, hetero
anamnesis, somatic examination (intravenous examination) as well as through screening of urine for the presence of
heroin. The results of this study were analyzed using descriptive methods, and the Chi-square test. The quantitative
data was expressed in number and percentage. The p value of statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: The
obtained results indicated that there is a significant statistical difference in heroin abuse before treatment and after 3
years of treatment with methadone therapy (р=0.01). Also in our study we got that the level of education (p=0,003),
marital status (p=0, 02); employment (p=0, 03) and criminal activities (p=0,04) were statistical significantly higher
in patients before methadone therapy Conclusion : The results obtained in our study indicated the effectiveness of
methadone therapy in reducing heroin use as well as in reducing criminal activities through the stabilization of
heroin addicts.
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