Opiate Withdrawal Outcome: The Predictive Ability of Admission Measures of Motivation, Self-Efficacy, and Lifestyle Stability

The ability of two models to predict the outcome of inpatient detoxification was tested. The first model related to motivation and self-efficacy for undergoing the withdrawal, and was found to be weakly predictive of premature discharges. The second model related to the stability of subjects' lifestyles prior to admission, and strongly predicted whether or not subjects would still be in receipt of withdrawal medication at the time of their discharge. It was concluded that further research was required as to the relative usefulness of cognitive/affective versus behavioral indicators of motivation for withdrawal.