Differences in heroin addicts seeking inpatient detoxification, ambulatory detoxification, or methadone maintenance.

Fifteen psychosocial characteristics of 300 male and 90 female heroin addicts admitted for inpatient detoxification, ambulatory detoxification, and methadone maintenance within the same multiphasic drug-abuse program were compared to determine whether or not their characteristics differentiated those seeking each type of treatment approach; there were 100 men and 30 women randomly drawn to represent each of the three approaches. Only two variables differed among the three approaches for both men and women--length of daily heroin use and educational attainment. The ambulatory detoxification patients had started using heroin daily at a later age than the inpatients who, in turn, had started using heroin daily at a later age than the methadone maintenance patients, and the ambulatory detoxification patients were more educated than the inpatients. The other variables differentiating the three approaches for each sex were discussed, and the conclusion was drawn that addicts with higher socioeconomic levels preferred ambulatory detoxification over methadone maintenance.