Factors Influencing Methadone Treatment Adherence of Drug Abusers: A Study in a Typical Medical Center in Vietnam

Abstract

Objective: Analyze factors influencing Methadone treatment adherence (MTA) of drug addicts to guide intervention solutions to improve treatment effectiveness.

Research Method: Cross-sectional descriptive study combining quantitative and qualitative methods. A sample of 98 patients undergoing Methadone treatment at a typical Methadone Treatment Center (MTC) in Vietnam was selected, along with interviews with health workers and patients' families from September 2019 to September 2020.

Results: This study identified several factors affecting treatment adherence include Occupational factors such as Unemployed patients were 4.37 times more likely to be non-adherent to treatment than employed patients (p<0.05), Patients experiencing side effects during Methadone treatment were 3.97 times more likely to be non-adherent than those without side effects (p<0.05), Substance use such as the Patients using Heroin and other illegal addictive substances during Methadone treatment had lower adherence rates than non-users (p<0.05). Other factors such as maintenance dose, HIV infection status, hepatitis B, hepatitis C condition, personal income, total drug use duration, knowledge of treatment adherence, influence of local police, social support policies, and having friends who inject drugs were also associated with treatment adherence, but these associations were not statistically significant (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Unemployed patients or those experiencing side effects during Methadone treatment are at higher risk of non-adherence. Patients using Heroin and other illegal addictive substances during Methadone treatment have lower adherence rates.