Psychosocial changes in six months of buprenorphine/naloxone substitution treatment

Aims: The main target of our research was to measure the changes in psychological symptoms (anxiety, depression, craving) of patients receiving buprenorphine-naloxone substitution treatment for six months, and the evaluation of the changes using the clients' dependency parameters (ASI). Methods: The level of dependency was investigated using the Addicton Severity Index (ASI). The psychiatric symptoms related to Axis I and II disorders were examined using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, SCID I and SCID II. The degree of craving was measured using the Heroin Craving Questionnaire, the assessment of the symptoms of depression using BDI and HAM-D, recorded by the medical attendant of the patient. To survey the extent of anxiety, we used STAI-S, and HAM-A. All patients receiving Suboxone therapy in Hungary between November 2007 and April 2008 were included in the study (n=80). During this time, Suboxone therapy was available in 6 locations. Results: We found significant improvement in almost all observed fields of behavioural and symptomatic dimensions during the first month. The only exception was the dimension of subsistence/livelihood of ASI, the changes were only at the tendency level. During the next five months of therapy, there was no further sign of improvement or decline in the observed fields, the only exception was again the subsistence/livelihood dimension of the ASI. Conclusions: Our results indicate that buprenorphine/naloxone treatment is a promising possibility for patients in need of opiatesubstitution treatment.