CUMULATIVE VERSUS STABILIZING EFFECTS OF METHADONE-MAINTENANCE - A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY USING LONGITUDINAL SELF-REPORT DATA

The present study applied a quasi-experimental design to examine wheth er methadone maintenance treatment demonstrates cumulative (i.e., reha bilitative) or stabilizing effects on behavior of narcotics addicts ov er multiple treatment episodes. Nearly 1,000 addicts in Southern Calif ornia methadone maintenance clinics were interviewed to obtain retrosp ective self-report information on their addiction histories. Nine meas ures, including use of narcotics and other drugs, crime involvement, a nd employment, were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of varia nce. The observed patterns of behavioral changes clearly indicated sta bilizing effects for most of the measures, but no indication of cumula tive effects were observed.