Characteristics of methadone patients responding to take-home incentives

The present study examined the demographic, behavioral, and psychiatric differences between patients in a methadone maintenance treatment sample who achieved drug-free status and earned the maximum level of take-homes (n=20) during a oneyear assessment period and patients matched on race, gender, and days in treatment who failed to meet take-home criteria. Twenty-four percent of new methadone maintenance intakes achieved the maximum level of take-homes. Patients who earned takehomes were more often employed and less likely to have a cohabitating partner who used illicit drugs. Further, patients who earned take-homes evidenced less baseline cocaine and heroin use than patients in the matched comparison group. There were no group differences on psychiatric profile. The results demonstrate that patients who might succeed on a take-home incentive program can be distinguished from patients who may not improve without additional treatment intervention.