Abstinence following a motivation-skill-desensitization-mental energy intervention for heroin dependence: A three-year follow-up result of a randomized controlled trial

Combined strategy for relapse prevention, including EMDR, could be a promising approach for preventing relapse among heroin users in China.

Article Abstract

“The high rate of relapse among heroin users remains a significant public concern in China. In the present study, we utilized a Motivation-Skill-Desensitization-Mental Energy (MSDE) intervention and evaluated its effects on abstinence and mental health. Eighty-nine male heroin users in a drug rehabilitation center were enrolled in the study. The participants in the MSDE intervention group (n=46) received MSDE intervention, which included motivational interviewing, coping skills training, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, and mindfulness-based psychotherapy. The participants in the control group (n=43) received a series of lectures on skills training. A significant increase in Contemplation Ladder score (P<0.001) and decreases in scores on the Obsessive Compulsive Drug Use Scale (P<0.001), Beck Depression Inventory (P<0.001), and Aggression Questionnaire (P=0.033) were found immediately after intervention. Compared to the control group, the MSDE intervention group reported significantly higher abstinence rates (P=0.027) and retention rates (P<0.001) at follow-up. Overall, the MSDE intervention, which uses a combined strategy for relapse prevention, could be a promising approach for preventing relapse among heroin users in China.”

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Chen, J. Y., Yu, J. C., Cao, J. P., Xiao, Y., Gu, H., Zhong, R. L., et al. (2019). Abstinence following a motivation-skill-desensitization-mental energy intervention for heroin dependence: A three-year follow-up result of a randomized controlled trial. Current Medical Science, 39(3), 472-482. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-019-2062-y