Effects of a recovery management intervention on Chinese heroin users' community recovery through the mediation effect of enhanced service utilization.

BACKGROUND

This study investigates whether a recovery management intervention (RMI) can improve the utilization of community drug treatment and wraparound services among heroin users in China and subsequently lead to positive recovery outcomes.

METHODS

Secondary analysis was conducted drawing data from a randomized controlled trial; 100 heroin users with no severe mental health problems were recruited in two Shanghai districts (Hongkou and Yangpu) upon their release from compulsory rehabilitation facilities. A latent variable modeling approach was utilized to test whether the RMI influences heroin users' perceived motivation and readiness for treatment, enhances treatment and wraparound service participation, and, in turn, predicts better recovery outcomes.

RESULTS

Enrollment in drug treatment and other social service utilization increased significantly as a result of RMI rather than an individual drug user's motivation and readiness for treatment. Increased service utilization thus led to more positive individual recovery outcomes. In addition to this mediation effect through service utilization, the RMI also improved participants' community recovery directly.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that better drug treatment enrollment, community service utilization and recovery outcomes can be potentially achieved among heroin users in China with carefully designed case management interventions.