Treatment pathways and transitions of young adults during opioid maintenance treatment

Iivonen, Sanna; Ekqvist, Eeva & Kuusisto Katja: Treatment pathways and transitions of young adults during opioid maintenance treatment
 
In Finland, drug use and deaths related to drug use have increased significantly among young adults (18-25 years). Opioid maintenance treatment is proven to be effective diminishing risks of opioid addiction. Therefore, entering opioid maintenance treatment as a young adult is becoming more common. In previous studies it is shown that young adults in opioid maintenance treatment can have challenges with treatment adherence and retention. However, little is known about treatment pathways and transitions young adults experience during opioid maintenance treatment. 
Data was collected from patients in two Finnish opioid maintenance treatment units during years 2017-2022 (18-25 years n=60; N=524). During the treatment, employees of the treatment unit marked changes in the patient’s treatment pathway or transitions to other health care services. Data also included starting date and transition date, which enables also temporal analysis. Treatment pathways and transitions with background factors will be studied using quantitative study methods.
 In preliminary analysis it appears that for the most part participants’ life situation significantly improves after entering opioid maintenance treatment. A more precise analysis is still in progress, and it will be completed during spring.  
Entering opioid maintenance treatment as a young adult is a comparatively new phenomenon and it requires more research. Modifying treatment content to take into account young adulthood as a special stage of life should be considered.