Motivational profiles of clients seeking methadone maintenance therapy in China.

OBJECTIVE

This study applied a stage-of-change model to examine the motivational profiles of clients seeking methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) in China.

METHODS

Face-to-face interviews were conducted with a total of 179 clients from six MMT clinics. The University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA) scale was used to measure the participants' motivation and readiness to change. Cluster analysis was performed to classify the sample into subgroups with respect to their change dimensions.

RESULTS

The study sample was allocated into five distinct clusters: uninvolved, denial, pre-participation, ambivalent, and participation. Participants who were classified in the denial cluster were older than those in the pre-participation and participation clusters. A higher level of motivation to change was positively associated with continued heroin use and more severe drug problems.

DISCUSSION: It would be beneficial to evaluate motivational profiles of individual clients in the treatment planning process and provide tailored interventions for sustained treatment retention and outcomes.