Methadone maintenance treatment and Corona virus pandemic

Spasovska Trajanovska, Aneta and Janikevik Ivanovska, Danijela and Gashi, Blerim (2023) Methadone maintenance treatment and Corona virus pandemic. In: 41th International scientific conference – the teacher of the future, 08-11 June 2023, Budva, Montenegro.

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Abstract

Methadone and buprenorphine are the major modalities on the opioid substitution therapy (OST) for
opioid dependence in North Macedonia. Some studies reported that coronavirus pandemic in
methadone maintenance patients (MMT) increase levels of stress, anxiety, depression and craving of
substance use. The negative emotions aroused by the COVID 19 outbreak and the accompanying social
isolation to patients on MMT maybe are an important factor of this occurrence.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of coronavirus pandemic on mental health and use of
legal and illegal substances in methadone maintenance patients.
Materials and methods: The prospective study included two group of male patients on methadone
therapy (N=30) between 20-51 years evaluated in Day hospital of heroin addicts-department of
Psychiatric Hospital Skopje. The study was conducted for six months so the one groups of patients was
evaluated before coronavirus pandemic and the second groups after six months of beginning the
epidemic. The patients were assess using sociodemographic information by semi-structured
questionnaire specially designed for the study. Urinary tests for determination of psychoactive
substances, BDI scale to determinate depression and Zunk scale to determinate the anxiety. Results of
this study were determinate by descriptive methods and Students t-test. In our study we got not
statistically significant results between sociodemographic characteristic in examination group. But we
got statistically significant results between score of BDI and Zunk scale in examination groups. Also, in
our study we got that alcohol, tobacco use, and recidivism of heroin use were statistical significantly
higher in MMT patients after six months of corona virus pandemic.
Conclusion: Results in our studies, suggested that the psychological and behavioral changes of the
patients receiving MMT during the epidemical were significant so maybe psychosocial treatment in the
future, which will alleviate these conditions

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Subjects:	Medical and Health Sciences > Basic medicine Medical and Health Sciences > Clinical medicine
Divisions:	Faculty of Medical Science
Depositing User:	Danijela Janikevik
Date Deposited:	19 Feb 2024 18:39
Last Modified:	19 Feb 2024 18:39
URI:	https://eprints.ugd.edu.mk/id/eprint/32648

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