The Efficacy Study Of The TC-based Rehabilitation Program On Male Heroin Addicts; The Development Of A Heroin Craving Questionnaire

Part I The efficacy of the Therapeutic Community-based rehabilitation program on male heroin addicts in a Correction CampObjective To assess the efficacy of a Therapeutic Community (TC)-based rehabilitation program on male heroin addicts in a Correction Camp.Methods TC-based rehabilitation program was employed in Detoxication Center of the Correction Camp in Hunan XinKaiPu. Fifty heroin addicts in Labor Correction Branch were enrolled as control group, 50 heroin addicts in Detoxication Center (intervention group) took part in the TC-based rehabilitation program. The intervention group followed a military routine in a closed community. The rehabilitation program tailored to their needs at different stages of recovery and their capacity to learn. The rehabilitation program helped enhance heroin addicts' motivation to change, offered coping strategies with relapse, drug craving and stress, and enhanced the self-efficacy to deploy these skills. Both groups were rated by Social Support Inventory, Coping Style Questionnaire, and Addiction Severity Index.Results1. The social support and coping styles of heroin addicts were poor. The rehabilitation program could improve the coping ability in intervention group.2. Although the abstinence rates in intervention groups at 3 month and 1 year follow-up were higher compared with those in the control group, the difference did not reach a significant level.3. The 3 month and 1 year follow-up results showed TC-based rehabilitation program effectively decreased heroin abuse, criminal activities and psychiatric problem, and improved employment, family and social function.4. The labor correction decreased heroin abuse and criminal activities, improved family and social function at 3 month follow-up. But only criminal activities significantly decreased at 1 year follow-up.Conclusions The efficacy of the TC-based rehabilitation program on maleheroin addicts who were in Correction Camp included:1. Both TC-based rehabilitation program and the traditional Reform Through Labor and Education were effective for the recovery of heroin addicts2. The TC-based rehabilitation program was more effective in decreasing heroin abuse and criminal activity, improving mental health than the traditional reform.3. The long-term relapse rates in both groups at 1 year follow-up were high (the TC-based rehabilitation program was 79.3%, the labor correction was 88.1%).4. There were deficits in the social support and coping style of heroin addicts, and the TC-based rehabilitation program could improve the coping style.