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A Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Relative Efficacy of the Addition of a Psycho-Social Intervention to Standard-of-Care Services in Reducing Attrition and Improving Attendance Among First-Time Users of Methadone Maintenance Treatment in China

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Abstract

Although methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is an important means of HIV control, MMT clinics commonly have high attrition rates. The randomized controlled trial investigated the relative efficacy of adding a psycho-social intervention to the standard-of-care MMT in reducing attrition and non-attendance among first-time newly admitted MMT users in China (n = 288). Social workers implemented this three-phase intervention that was based on a behavioral maintenance theory. It also involved participants’ family members and rectified some MMT-related misconceptions. As compared to the control group, the intervention group showed significantly lower likelihood of attrition (HR = 0.55, 95 % confidence interval 0.39–0.80), lower estimated probability of attrition at Month 12 (0.35 vs. 0.55), and higher median number of days of attendance (Month 6: 147 vs. 91 days, p < 0.001; end-date: 225 vs. 142 days, p < 0.001). Further psycho-social services and translational research are warranted.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Chujun Xu, Wenliang Pan and Jiangqiang Li of the Big Dipper Social Work Center, who conducted the intervention and collected the data of the study. The authors would also like to thank all staff of the MMT clinics and all participants of the study. Thanks were extended to Ms. Yingna Liu who edited the English of the paper. This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (30901226), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2009158) and the CMB HPSS (11-074).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 309, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74, Zhongshan Road II, Guangzhou, 510080, China

    Jing Gu, Yuantao Hao & Wenhua Ling

  2. Center for Health Behaviours Research, School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, China

    Joseph T. F. Lau

  3. Department HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, Guangzhou Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Guangzhou, China

    Huifang Xu, Yuteng Zhao & Lirui Fan

  4. College of Public Management, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China

    Ying Zhong

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  1. Jing Gu
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Correspondence to Jing Gu.

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Gu, J., Lau, J.T.F., Xu, H. et al. A Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Relative Efficacy of the Addition of a Psycho-Social Intervention to Standard-of-Care Services in Reducing Attrition and Improving Attendance Among First-Time Users of Methadone Maintenance Treatment in China. AIDS Behav 17, 2002–2010 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-012-0393-9

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