Comparative study between prison- and community-based treatment satisfaction for opioid use disorder in Lebanon
International Journal of Prisoner Health
ISSN: 1744-9200
Article publication date: 28 February 2019
Issue publication date: 7 June 2019
Abstract
Purpose
Opioid substitution treatment (OST), such as Buprenorphine, has become a well-established evidence-based approach for the treatment of inmates with opioid use disorder (OUD) in most of the developed world. However, its application in Lebanon remains mainly as a community-based intervention. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the need of its implementation within the Lebanese correctional system.
Design/methodology/approach
The work is a pilot cross-sectional study that compares two groups: 30 male adult prisoners with OUD convictions receiving symptomatic treatment and 30 male adult community patients with OUD receiving Buprenorphine. The objective was to measure the difference in the patients’ general perception and satisfaction of the treatments available. OUD was diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition criteria and the level of satisfaction was measured by “Treatment Perceptions Questionnaire (TPQ).”
Findings
The prison group reported significantly lower satisfaction when compared to the community group (total TPQ mean scores: M=34.73, SD =4.12 and M=16.67, SD =4.78, respectively, with t (56.76) =15.68, p=0.000). Furthermore, age, marital status, education level and elapsed time in treatment had no significant interactions with the total TPQ score.
Originality/value
The major principles of the ethics of care and evidence-based safe practices will be proposed for the introduction of Buprenorphine to Lebanese prisons. This work provides an opportunity for the expansion of the Lebanese OST program and consequently other countries in the region could benefit from this experience.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Conflict of interest and funding: there is no conflict of interest to be mentioned and this research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors. The authors would like to thank all the staff and patients at Roumieh prison and AJEM NGO for their participation and help in this research without whom it would not have been made possible. Their contribution, time and effort were highly valuable. The authors are sincerely grateful to the former General Director of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces, Major General Ibrahim BASBOUS; the current General Director of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces, Major General Imad OTHMAN; the Head of the polyclinic at Roumieh prison, Colonel Habib El TAKACH; the Head of Public Relations Department of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces, Colonel Joseph MOUSSALLEM; and the Head of AJEM NGO, Father Najib Baaklini whose understanding, encouragement, generous guidance and cooperation through the course of this study made this work possible and successful. Finally, this work has been inspired and done in memory of late Father Hady El AYA, founder and former Head of AJEM NGO.
Citation
Khalaf, D., Hayek, M., Bakhos, J.-J. and Abou-Mrad, F. (2019), "Comparative study between prison- and community-based treatment satisfaction for opioid use disorder in Lebanon", International Journal of Prisoner Health, Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 138-152. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-12-2017-0064
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited