Effect of naltrexone treatment on mental health and other health outcomes : a record linkage study.

Funded Activity Summary

Research has shown that heroin use is an increasing habit of Australia's youth with morbidity and mortality rates for regular heroin users significantly greater than that for the general population. Despite the introduction of a number of treatment options to combat the problem, the management of dependent heroin use has proved problematic. This application addresses an issue of considerable importance and controversy in recent years, namely, the impact of naltrexone and methadone treatment on morbidity and mortality among persons who are heroin dependent. The study will be carried out using a unique system of linked hospital records from the Western Australian Health Services Research Linkage Unit at the Department of Health Western Australia (DHWA). Through this system hospital, mental health and death records derived from different sources, but related to the same individual are electronically linked. Hence, record linkage provides an independent method for obtaining information on treatment outcomes which is free from subjective bias. In the current study records from heroin users who entered naltrexone maintenance and a smaller group who entered methadone maintenance will be linked to the DHWA database. Collectively these data will be used to quantify morbidity, hospital episodes, mental health issues and mortality in heroin users following commencement of naltrexone maintenance treatment. Data will also be used to compare positive and negative outcomes for individuals on naltrexone with those on methadone. The results will be used to advocate on behalf of this vulnerable population in a country that prides itself on universal access to high quality health services. It is anticipated that this study will have a substantial beneficial impact on the management of illicit drug use policy and as well as contributing new research methods, findings and international knowledge.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2003

End Date: 01-01-2003

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $111,625.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Vision science

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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Other Keywords

drug (opioid) dependence | health service utilisation | health status | medical record linkage | mental and other health outcomes | mental health | naltrexone and methadone maintenance | naltrexone and methadone patient management | opioid dependence

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