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Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems: 2022, 24, N1 (pages: 31 - 38)

The Role of Familial and Cultural Factors in Relapse of Methadone Maintenance Treated Patients

Badiei R., Motazedian S., Kheradmand A., and Seif P.

Summary: Background: Drug abuse in a chronic mental disorder. One of the main problematic issues in addiction is its relapsing nature. Many factors have been proposed as the precipitating factors in relapse. We decided to upgrade the role of family and cultural environment to investigate this phenomenon. Methods: As many as 525 drug abusers, all of whom had had one or more previous abstinence episode(s), and had been referred to MMT centres in 2018 in Shiraz (Iran) and its suburbs, were evaluated. Results: Of the 525 study participants, 379 were men and 146 were women. Lack of entertainment facilities for the ‘social leisure' included in the cultural factors category was most evident in men aged below 20. Experiencing a tense family atmosphere arising from excessive control over its younger members, loss of trust and faith, and addiction in their first-degree relatives were the most important causes of relapse in assessing familial factors. The spouse's bad behaviours, addiction in their partner, an imposed marriage, and the tension between spouses were the main marital factors that accounted for drug relapse. Conclusions: The importance of three separate factors in determining drug relapse among different age groups and role of gender in determining drug addiction were both demonstrated. This indicates the need for a thorough evaluation, with the aim of proposing a unique treatment protocol for every patient to avoid the dangers involved in any further relapse.