China faces the challenge of dual epidemics of drug use and HIV/AIDS. Despite the high relapse rate among heroin addicts released from compulsory rehabilitation facilities, there are few programs available in China to assist these addicts in the community. We pilot-tested in China a Recovery Management Intervention (RMI) program designed to facilitate early detection of relapse and prompt linkage from compulsory rehabilitation to the community and, if participants relapse, to community-based methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) programs. One hundred heroin addicts were randomly assigned to either the Standard Care group (n = 50) or the RMI group (n = 50). At the end of the 3-month trial, participants in the RMI group, relative to the standard care group, demonstrated positive outcomes in recidivism due to relapse (0 vs. 6%, p = .08; d = 0.354), MMT participation (8% vs. 0, p = 0.06; d = 0.417), and employment (33% vs. 2%, p < .001; d = 0.876), although no difference was found in urine testing results (8.5% vs. 8.7%; d = 0.013) among interviewed participants. These pilot study results were based on a small sample size and short-term observation, suggesting the need for more research to further improve and test RMI effectiveness with larger samples over a longer period of time in order to provide evidence in support of RMI as an effective strategy for community reintegration among addicts released from rehabilitation facilities in China.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01270100.
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