Methadone Applicant Dropouts: Impact of Requiring Involvement of Friends or Family in Treatment

In attrition among applicants to a methadone maintenance program before and after it began to require that applicants have a relative or close friend willing to act as a treatment sponsor, young addicts, addicts with recent drug histories, and singles were somewhat less likely to enter treatment after the requirement was introduced.

Abstract

This paper examines attrition among applicants to a methadone maintenance program before and after it began to require that applicants have a relative or close friend willing to act as a treatment sponsor. Few applicants were unable to locate sponsors. The dropout rate was greater for Blacks than for Hispanics and Anglo Whites both before and after the sponsor requirement was introduced. However, young addicts, addicts with recent drug histories, and singles were somewhat less likely to enter treatment after the requirement was introduced. Implications for drug treatment clinicians and administrators are discussed.