Abstract
The increasing prevalence of HIV infection among injection drug users mandates the development of innovative treatments. While extensive clinical experience suggests that acupuncture detoxification is both safe and acceptable to those in withdrawal, little research has been conducted to assess its efficacy as a treatment modality. In this first controlled study of acupuncture heroin detoxification, 100 addicted persons were randomly assigned, in a single-blind design, to the standard auricular acupuncture treatment used for addiction or to a "sham" treatment that used points that were geographically close to the standard points. Attrition was high for both groups but subjects assigned to the standard treatment attended the acupuncture clinic more days and stayed in treatment longer than those assigned to the sham condition. Additionally, attendance varied inversely with self-reports of frequency of drug use, suggesting that those with lighter habits found the treatment modality more helpful. Limitations of the study are discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 345-351 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1993 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Conducted under Contract Number D-0002-8 with the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs with partial support by grant number lR18DAO6097 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and a Centers grant #MH42459 from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The authors especially thank Shirley Gross, the Executive Director of the Bayview-Hunter’s Point Foundation, and the treatment staff and clients at the Foundation’s Substance Abuse Services. In addition, for their assistance with data collection and analysis, we acknowledge Kevin Dehrcchi, Eve Golden, Nick Daniels, LaMar Hasbrouck, Jocelyn Nazareno, Maira Benjamin, and Ron Henderson. Requests for reprints should be addressed to Allyson M. Wash-burn, PhD, San Francisco Treatment Research Unit, San Francisco General Hospital, Substance Abuse Services, Ward 93, 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110.
Funding
Conducted under Contract Number D-0002-8 with the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs with partial support by grant number lR18DAO6097 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and a Centers grant #MH42459 from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The authors especially thank Shirley Gross, the Executive Director of the Bayview-Hunter’s Point Foundation, and the treatment staff and clients at the Foundation’s Substance Abuse Services. In addition, for their assistance with data collection and analysis, we acknowledge Kevin Dehrcchi, Eve Golden, Nick Daniels, LaMar Hasbrouck, Jocelyn Nazareno, Maira Benjamin, and Ron Henderson. Requests for reprints should be addressed to Allyson M. Wash-burn, PhD, San Francisco Treatment Research Unit, San Francisco General Hospital, Substance Abuse Services, Ward 93, 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| National Institute of Mental Health | |
| National Institute on Drug Abuse | R18DA006097, 42459 |
| California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs | lR18DAO6097 |
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Phychiatric Mental Health
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health
