The Evolution of the Health Status and Quality of Life of Heroin Addicts Treated with Methadone in the City of Tangier, Morocco

Abstract

Opiate substitution treatment with methadone (STM) is one of the most effective means of treating heroin addiction. It presents itself as a beneficial treatment for health, and insertion into work but also for the reduction of infectious risks and crime. Improving the quality of life of patients during treatment including social and relational life and somatic state has been considered by some research to be more important than abstinence from the substance itself. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of methadone treatment on the quality of life of 101 drug-addicted patients in a health center in Tangier city, including the possible improvement of their socio-professional, relational and somatic state, using the characters of the official questionnaires of request of cure and based on the multidisciplinary method of the ASI (Addiction Severity Index). Our questionnaire included a rubric for sociodemographic data and another one for the evaluation of the impact of this treatment on the somatic, socio-professional and relational state of the patients according to two periods: before and after the treatment, and according to the duration of the treatment. The results obtained showed an improvement in the somatic state including weight, sleep, nutritional status and socio-occupational and relational status after inclusion in treatment.

Medición de esquemas tempranos de mala adaptación en adictos a la heroína tratados con metadona en el norte de Marruecos

“…In addition this comparison above shows and confirm the schema attributed to dependence and substance abuse called "Fear of losing control". In the context of drug addiction with heroin addicts, these would be predisposing to the creation of specific addiction-related schemas that fall into two categories: one is related to relationships with others (to believe to be rejected or accepted) and the other one about autonomy, freedom and personal success (Tison and Hautekeete, 1998).Therefore in the first category we found for all patients: "Emotional deprivation"/"Abandonment"/"Mistrust"/"Subjection" which are the most dominant compared to other schemas either before or after treatment, this is due to the distortion and loss of social benchmarks that is considered a risk factor in drug-addicted patients (Idrissi et al, 2018) and which is based on the instability of the family relations, because the set of schemas quoted before considers that the family which is of typical origin is detached, cold, rejecting, fleeting etc. This belief implies that close people will not be able to provide emotional support, proximity, strength, or concrete protection for patients during their childhood period, this was implicitly declared during their interview time and when completing the questionnaires.…”

“…The conclusion that can be drawn from the set of results obtained is that the substitution treatment with methadone has a beneficial effect on all axes of the patient's life as a medical than psychosocial, what affects the psyche and the well-being of the patients this effect was observed during the interviews where the totality of the patients affirmed to feel better and to be less handicapped by their daily psychic troubles as well as their health and quality of life (Idrissi et al, 2018) which is reflected directly in their expressions with respect to inappropriate schemas that seemed to be activated even slightly in the treatment period.…”

“…The general objectives of these treatments not only total abstinence from the substance but also the prevention of somatic and psychiatric and psychic complications secondary to opioid dependence, as well as the promotion of the general quality of life of patients (Idrissi et al, 2018).…”