Flynn, P. M., Joe, G. W., Broome, K. M., Simpson, D. D., & Brown, B. S. (2003). Recovery from opioid addiction in DATOS. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 25(3), 177-186.
Abstract: Patient attributions for their own long-term recovery were obtained in a 5-year followup of 432 admissions to 18 outpatient methadone treatment programs. Subjects were classified into two groups – recovering and non-recovering – strictly defined and based on both biological and self-report measures of no opioid or cocaine use, less than daily use of alcohol, and no arrests or illegal activity during the year prior to interview. The 28% who were in recovery at Year 5 reported that they had relied primarily upon personal motivation, treatment experiences, religion/spirituality, family, and their job/career. Particular value was placed on the support from family and close friends, indicating the importance of stronger efforts to develop social networks for support of drug-free functioning, especially among patients who lack these resources or need them strengthened. [Keywords: Recovery; opioids; addiction; methadone treatment; treatment outcomes]