Department of Biomedical Sciences, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon.
Observatory of Public Policies and Health, Beirut, Lebanon.
Harm Reduct J. 2017 Dec 8;14(1):78. doi: 10.1186/s12954-017-0204-8.
Opioid agonist therapy has been widely used to reduce harms among individuals with opioid use disorder but its effectiveness has not been evaluated in the Middle East North African (MENA) region. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a program using opioid agonist therapy in combination with psychosocial support on improving psychological and social well-being, reducing arrest, and reducing risky behavior in individuals with opioid use disorder in Lebanon.
A one-group pre-test post-test design study was performed at SKOUN Lebanese Addiction Centre between January 2013 and December 2014. Eighty-six out of 181 patients agreed to participate and completed the 3-month assessment and 38 concluded the 12-month assessment. Psychological (depression and anxiety, quality of life), substance dependence/abuse, behavioral (injecting behavior, sharing needles and paraphernalia), and social outcomes were evaluated at baseline, 3, and 12 months post-treatment.
Remarkable statistical significance improvements were observed 3 months after treatment in most outcome variables including quality of life, anxiety, substance dependence, overdose, employment, and injecting behavior. Improvements were sustained 12 months after treatment.
Results support expanding the access to opioid agonist therapy in other MENA countries to treat substance dependence and reduce harms among individuals with opioid use disorder.
阿片类激动剂疗法已被广泛用于减少阿片类使用障碍患者的伤害，但在中东和北非（MENA）地区尚未评估其有效性。本研究旨在评估在黎巴嫩使用阿片类激动剂疗法联合心理社会支持来改善心理和社会福祉、减少逮捕和减少阿片类使用障碍患者危险行为的方案的有效性。
2013 年 1 月至 2014 年 12 月，在 SKOUN 黎巴嫩成瘾中心进行了一项单组前测后测设计研究。181 名患者中有 86 名同意参与并完成了 3 个月的评估，其中 38 名完成了 12 个月的评估。在基线、治疗后 3 个月和 12 个月时评估心理（抑郁和焦虑、生活质量）、物质依赖/滥用、行为（注射行为、共用针具和用具）和社会结局。
治疗后 3 个月，大多数结局变量包括生活质量、焦虑、物质依赖、药物过量、就业和注射行为均有显著统计学意义的改善。治疗后 12 个月仍有改善。
结果支持在其他 MENA 国家扩大阿片类激动剂疗法的使用，以治疗物质依赖并减少阿片类使用障碍患者的伤害。
