Gender Differences in Recovery Consequences among Heroin Dependent Patients After Compulsory Treatment Programs

Studies on recovery patterns and how baseline factors influence recovery consequences among heroin dependent patients have shown mixed results. This study is aimed at describing the gender differences in long-term recovery patterns and exploring the predictors of negative recovery consequences by gender among heroin dependent patients in Shanghai, China. 

At baseline, this study recruited 503 heroin dependent patients discharged from Shanghai compulsory rehabilitation facilities in 2007 and 2008. In this cohort study, the baseline data was then linked with participants’ 5-year follow-up data from official records. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) were used to compare males with females in terms of the presence of negative consequences (incarceration, or readmission to compulsory treatment, or both), in the subsequent 5-years after their discharge from compulsory treatment. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was used to explore factors associated to the time length of negative consequences in 5 years after the discharge for males and females separately. 

Our findings indicate that female heroin dependent patients tend to have less negative recovery outcomes than male patients. Male patients with a life-time history of poly drug use and female patients with borderline personality disorder are especially at risk of incarceration and readmission into compulsory treatment programs.

Below:  Natural history of heroin dependent patients who discharged from the compulsory treatment program in Shanghai, China

Below:  Percentage of male and female participants who having negative consequences in 5 years after the discharge from compulsory treatment

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/FJ9edp

By:   Jiang Haifeng,1 Liang Di,2 Du Jiang,1 Sun Haiming,1 Chen Zhikang,1 Fu Liming,3 and Zhao Mina,1

¹Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of medicine, 600 South Wanping Road, Shanghai 200030, PR China

²UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management, 650 Charles Young Dr. S., 31-269 CHS Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1772, USA

³Council of Shanghai Ziqiang Social Services, 158 Hanzhong Road, Shanghai 200070, PR China

^aEmail: moc.liamg@oahznimrd

 

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