Methadone Maintenance Treatment in Iran and Brief Psychological Treatments for Women: A Rehabilitation Approach in Methamphetamine Dependence

Methamphetamine use in patients treated with methadone is a health problem in Iran that reduces the benefits of this treatment. This has been more reported by women than by men. Short-term psychological interventions are one of the major methods of rehabilitation to solve this problem. The current study aimed to explore the reasons for methadone patients for using these interventions to quit daily MA use while in treatment. 

In this qualitative-descriptive study, 64 women undergoing maintenance treatment from three methadone clinics in Tehran, Iran, were selected through a simple and accessible method and were interviewed.in 2016. All women met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Edition Five (DSM-V) criteria for regular MA use in the past 12 months while in methadone treatment. A researcher-made questionnaire was devised to interview with the patients. Quantitative-descriptive data were analyzed by PPSS software V. 22 and qualitative data were analyzed by content analysis method.

The mean age of the women was 37.8 years (age range: 18-56 years). Overall, 50% of the participants reported living with their families. The average duration of undergoing methadone treatment was 18 months. Overall, 84.3% of participants consumed MA by smoking. The main reasons women expressed as self-reporting to use short-term psychological interventions were as follows: learning short-sighted cognitive skills is easy and affordable to quit smoking (79%): routine counseling and training on methadone treatment does not have a significant effect on stopping the use of MA, as it requires cognitive-behavioral skills and techniques (76%); with continued consumption, there is a possibility of increased divorce and separation from the family and consequently, lack of financial support (71%), which caused lack of paying for methadone treatment charges; therefore, learning cognitive-behavioral skills was necessary; regular MA use is against the religious and traditional values of family and society (66%); likelihood of homelessness was high due to continued MA use (53%); the stigma and social labeling and discrimination against consumption for women are higher than men (51%); positive feedback of methadone-therapy has been greatly reduced due to consuming MA and therefore the probability of expulsion from methadone-therapy is high p(43%). Problems related to work (38%) and risk of losing the right to foster care (31%) were also other reasons.

A combination of individual, familial, social and therapeutic reasons were described by MA dependent women as their needs for having short-term psychological treatments while experiencing methadone treatment. More studies should be conducted to investigate the effects of short-term psychological treatments in reducing regular MA use among women in methadone treatment services. Family therapy needs to be provided to reduce the likelihood of divorce, separation, homelessness, and lack of financial support among these women. Mass media should provide educational programs to reduced stigma and discrimination against women with regular MA use.