Limit setting on drug abuse in methadone maintenance patients

In this prospective study the authors examined the effects of setting limits on continued drug abuse in patients receiving methadone maintenance. Subjects were randomly assigned either to structured treatment (drug use exceeding set limits resulted in methadone withdrawal) or to unstructured treatment (no consequences attended continued drug use). The structured treatment resulted in significantly less drug use and greater retention in the program. The authors conclude that these results confirm the importance of external structure in the treatment of addiction-related psychopathology.