Medically Assisted Treatment as a Means for Reducing Recidivism among Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder

• In Event: Assessing and Improving Substance Abuse Treatment Programs

Abstract

Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) has been identified as a successful treatment for individuals attempting to desist from opioid misuse. Recently, the use of MAT among those serving terms of incarcerated has begun to gain traction. As such, MAT has been implemented in some jails and prisons across the United States. This study evaluates whether MAT impacts recidivism among individuals with Opioid Use Disorder who were incarcerated at Milwaukee County House of Corrections (N=287). Multivariate analysis was used to assess the impact of MAT on general and drug-specific recidivism among those who successfully completed MAT versus those did not complete the program. Additionally, we test whether these effects vary by individual demographics (e.g., age, education level, employment history, race), family structure (e.g., marital status, children), drug history (e.g., length of use, prior overdoses), and perceived negative life impacts related to their opioid use.

Authors

• Joseph Kaberlein, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

• Rebecca Headley Konkel, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

• Tina Freiburger, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee