Views of the Staff on Treatment of Methamphetamine-dependent Female Patients in the Department of Addictology Inpatient Treatment Facility: a Pilot Study
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Czech literature dealing with the treatment of people dependent on methamphetamine (MA) is scarce. AIM: To describe how the treatment staff views the treatment interventions provided at the women's inpatient ward of the Department of Addictology of the 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital in Prague (DA), with a focus on users of MA.
PARTICIPANTS: Five employees of the DA who have experience with female patients. METHOD: The qualitative research is based on interviews with the employees and on the analysis of documentation and observation performed by the first author.
Inductive qualitative analysis was used to analyse the data. RESULT: In year 2012, out of the 12 patients treated in the DA seven had the diagnosis of MA dependence.
Generally, one third of them successfully complete treatment. The experience of the therapeutic team of the DA treatment facility shows that MA-dependent patients are typically young, immature, creative, and impulsive, and display external motivation and dissocial behavior.
They are mostly patients who have not developed basic life structures and patterns. MA-dependent patients also tend to be aggressive, destructive, and reckless.
They do not seem to follow the rules of proper conduct or common property boundaries. It takes time to establish initial links between them and the therapeutic team and also between them and other patients.
If they are retained in treatment, their prospects of recovery are good. Treatment interventions delivered to MA patients are not different from those performed on others.
Patients addicted to MA undergo the same treatment process and have the same rights and obligations as other patients in the ward. Some specific features of their therapeutic program may include an interruption of their treatment, a broader offer of therapeutic communities and other aftercare services to choose from, prolongation of treatment, and support in finding employment.