Author: Gary Jackson

Medication-assisted treatment for alcohol-dependent adults with serious mental illness and criminal justice involvement: effects on treatment utilization and outcomes PMC

With that, we cannot determine the extent to which potentially greater disease severity (and, thereby, greater potential for improvement) in the MAT group contributed to the observed MAT effect on outcomes. Given the severity of co-morbid disease in this population with chronic, relapsing disorders, however, it is unlikely that differential severity by study group would account for the full treatment effect as it might in a more diverse sample. An underlying assumption of medication possession ratio as a proxy measure for medication adherence is that the patient should remain on psychotropic medication for the reference psychiatric disorder indefinitely. Alcohol use disorder is characterized by drinking more than you want to, for longer than you want to, despite wanting to cut down. Alcohol use disorder can be challenging to navigate, but it can be effectively treated with tools such as therapy and medication-assisted treatment. While medication alone can effectively help individuals reduce their alcohol consumption or stop drinking, most people benefit from combining medication with counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy.

It can also treat opioid dependence by reducing withdrawal symptoms. Clonidine doesn’t cure addiction but does make relapse less likely. The first type of medication reduces alcohol cravings by decreasing the reinforcing effects of alcohol that make you want to keep drinking. Some of the medications used as part of a treatment protocol are controlled substances due to their potential for misuse. Drugs, substances, and certain chemicals used to make drugs are classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) into five distinct categories, or schedules, depending upon a drug’s acceptable medical use and potential for misuse.

Does Insurance Cover MAT?

They’re also used off-label for drug and alcohol rehab, including in cases of co-occurring disorders. A multidimensional approach allows people to manage the multiple aspects of their substance use disorder simultaneously. The chemical reactions that occur in the brain after extended alcohol use can cause alcohol cravings and make it hard to cut back. Additionally, many people use alcohol as a coping mechanism for depression, anxiety, isolation, trauma, or boredom. These underlying issues are challenging to address when you’re fighting against cravings all day. Healthcare professionals now provide up-to-date treatments backed by science.

• Take our free, 5-minute substance misuse self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with substance misuse.
• “People can get a lot out of 12-step programs or individual professional counseling, especially people with more complex mental health comorbidities,” Lee says.
• Alcohol use disorder is a complex condition that affects and is affected by multiple aspects of one’s life, and effective treatment requires a whole-person approach.
• Given the severity of co-morbid disease in this population with chronic, relapsing disorders, however, it is unlikely that differential severity by study group would account for the full treatment effect as it might in a more diverse sample.

Regardless of what setting medication is provided, it is more effective when counseling and other services are available to provide patients with a whole-person approach and to support their recovery. “People can get a lot out of 12-step programs or individual professional counseling, especially people with more complex mental health comorbidities,” Lee says. More recently, numerous studies and reviews have found that MAT can be effective in treating alcohol use disorder.

MAT for Opioid Addiction

The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, however, assesses and records psychiatric diagnoses at inpatient and outpatient admissions, and reviews diagnoses at least once every six months to increase accuracy. The medication possession ratio serves as a validated near proxy for medication adherence, but is not equivalent to evidence of actually taking the medication. Also, while crisis-driven service utilization is an important part of one’s functional status, the administrative data lack measures on alcohol consumption or other functional status measures.

Alcohol use disorder is a complex condition that affects and is affected by multiple aspects of one’s life, and effective treatment requires a whole-person approach. As noted above, naltrexone is also FDA-approved for the treatment of opioid use disorder. However, besides naltrexone, the medications used to treat opioid dependence differ from those to treat alcohol use disorder. Other FDA-approved medications to treat opioid use disorder include buprenorphine, suboxone, and methadone. You may have also heard about naloxone, a medication that treats opioid overdose. To learn more about MAT for opioid use, visit SAMHSA.gov to browse resources for opioid use disorder, opioid overdose, and opioid withdrawal.