| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺北大學 === 犯罪學研究所 === 100 === Since 2006, Taiwan has implemented a “deferred prosecution methadone treatment program” for heroin abusers. However, there has been a lack of research regarding the effectiveness of such a program. This research study examines the practices in a hospital in northern Taiwan, analyzing completion rates of methadone treatment and related factors.
This research is a retrospective study and selective sampling from a methadone clinic in a northern Taiwan hospital. Data were collected from the period of July 10th, 2007 to December 31, 2010. Prosecution for patients involved had been deferred, and these patients were receiving methadone treatment. Data collected included static factors such as demographic data and dynamic factors such as attendance rate. T-tests, chi-squared tests, ANOVA and regression analyses were used to determine relationships between the factors under examination and treatment completion rates.
Of the 196 patients in the study, 139 were able to sustain treatment for six months, representing 70.9% of the total. 99 (50.5%) of the patients were able to sustain their treatments for 12 months (1 year), successfully completing the treatment. Factors related to sustaining the first 6-months treatment include gender、job、 attendance rate and reactive rate of urine test. For completion of the total 12-months treatment，the related factors added identified were marital status, property-related criminal record, the highest and the latest methadone dosage. In this study, we found female, married, employed, without property-related criminal records, higher highest methadone dosage、lower latest dosage、higher attendance rate and lower reactive urine test had greater likelihood of successfully completing the 12-months treatment program. We analyzed the ROC curve for attendance rate and completion treatment, the cut-off value of attendance rate is 87.5%.
This research study points out several factors that correlate with higher rates of completing methadone treatment. The results of this study may help judges defer prosecution or specifying additional requests when sentencing heroin abusers. The results may also assist hospitals to more accurately predict patients at higher risk of relapsing, and therefore prompt an alternative treatment program and case management.
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