Follow-up of Heroin Addicts in Spain (EMETYST Project): results 1 year after treatment admission.

The EMETYST (Estudio Multicentrico de Evaluacion de Tratamientos y Seguimiento de Toxicomanos) project describes demographic characteristics and history of drug abuse in a sample of 311 heroin addicts, who began treatment for addiction between the months of March and July 1985 in 16 different outpatient drug-free clinics in Spain. The outcome of these patients was studied prospectively at 6 and 12 months after the onset of treatment. Drug use, psychological status, occupational status, and legal status were the main areas of interest. At 12 months, 51% of patients had discontinued heroin use (p<0.01). Ten per cent of patients remained on treatment for 1 year of more. As previously reported in other studies, treatment decreased heroin use and improved psychological status. Predictive factors of the patient's status at 12 months were duration of therapy, pretreatment criminal history, and results obtained at 6-month follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]