Oxford House Residents' Attitudes Toward Medication Assisted Treatment Use in Fellow Residents

Community Ment Health J. 2018 Jul;54(5):571-577. doi: 10.1007/s10597-017-0218-4. Epub 2018 Jan 4.

Abstract

Methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone are medication assisted treatment (MAT) options for treating opioid use disorder, yet attitudes regarding their use within abstinence-based recovery homes have not been assessed. The present investigation examined attitudes regarding MAT utilization among residents living in Oxford Houses. This cross-sectional investigation compared residents (n = 87) receiving MAT whose recent drug use involved opioids, and two groups not receiving MATs; those who had used opioids and those who had used substances other than opioids. The vast majority of residents were not receiving MAT, yet 32% reported MAT histories. Negative attitudes regarding MAT were observed among residents who were not receiving MAT. Those presently receiving MAT reported mixed attitudes regarding the use of methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone, and two of these residents reported they had never been prescribed MAT. Findings suggest that abstinence-based recovery homes such as Oxford Houses may not be optimal resources for persons receiving MATs.

Keywords: Abstinence-based recovery homes; Buprenorphine/naloxone; Medication assisted treatment; Methadone; Oxford House; Suboxone.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Analgesics, Opioid / therapeutic use
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Attitude to Health*
  • Buprenorphine / therapeutic use
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Drug Utilization / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Halfway Houses
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Methadone / therapeutic use
  • Naloxone / therapeutic use
  • Narcotic Antagonists / therapeutic use
  • Opiate Substitution Treatment / methods*
  • Opioid-Related Disorders / psychology*
  • Opioid-Related Disorders / therapy*
  • Outpatients / psychology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires

Substances

  • Analgesics, Opioid
  • Narcotic Antagonists
  • Naloxone
  • Buprenorphine
  • Methadone