2004 Treatment Discharges:  Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS)

Chapter 10
Methadone Detoxification Discharges: 2004

Chapter 10 presents data on the reasons for discharge and length of stay (LOS) in treatment for the 17,976 linked admission/discharge records of clients discharged from methadone detoxification in 2004 in 17 States [Table 10.1].

Table 10.1 and Figure 10.1 present the distribution of reasons for discharge for discharges from methadone detoxification. Overall, 4,041 (22 percent) of methadone detoxification discharges completed methadone detoxification, 2,368 (13 percent) were transferred to further treatment, 9,482 (53 percent) dropped out of treatment, 156 (1 percent) had treatment terminated by the facility, and 1,929 (11 percent) failed to complete treatment for other reasons. Table 10.1 also presents reason for discharge by State.

SOURCE: Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). Data received through 2.1.2006.

Figure 10.2, Table 2.6, and Appendix Table C.9. The median LOS for methadone detoxification was 16 days. The average (mean) LOS was longer, 37 days (standard deviation, 104). The average LOS was longer than the median LOS for most reasons for discharge for most client characteristics.

SOURCE: Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). Data received through 2.1.2006.

Methadone detoxification clients who completed treatment generally remained in treatment longer than those who did not complete treatment. Among treatment completers, median LOS was 20 days and among clients transferred to further treatment, it was 15 days. Among clients who dropped out of treatment, the median LOS was 13 days; among those whose treatment was terminated by the facility, it was 69 days; and among those who failed to complete treatment for other reasons, the median LOS was 18 days.

In comparison with all discharges combined, clients discharged from methadone detoxification were more likely:

• to be age 40 to 49 or age 50 or older (36 percent and 20 percent, respectively, compared to 25 percent and 9 percent of all discharges);
• to be of Hispanic origin (30 percent, compared to 13 percent of all discharges);
• to report opiates as their primary substance (97 percent, compared to 18 percent of all discharges);
• to report daily use of their primary substance (86 percent, compared to 40 percent of all discharges);
• to have begun use of their primary substance after age 25 (29 percent, compared to 13 percent of all discharges);
• to have been in treatment five or more times before (28 percent, compared to 11 percent of all discharges); and
• to be self- or individually referred (85 percent, compared to 36 percent of all discharges).

Clients discharged from methadone detoxification were less likely than all discharges combined:

• to be age 15 to 19 at admission (1 percent, compared to 11 percent of all discharges);
• to be non-Hispanic White (47 percent, compared to 59 percent of all discharges);
• to report alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, or stimulants as their primary substance (a total of 2 percent, compared to a total of 78 percent of all discharges);
• to report either no use of the primary substance in the month before treatment entry or use one to three times per month (a total of 1 percent, compared to 38 percent of all discharges);
• to have never been in treatment before (22 percent, compared to 42 percent of all discharges); or
• to have been referred to treatment through the criminal justice system (3 percent, compared to 37 percent of all discharges).

Demographics

Tables 10.2-10.4 and Figures 10.3-10.5. Seventy percent of clients discharged from methadone detoxification were male. The peak age group at admission was 40 to 49 years (36 percent of all methadone detoxification discharges), followed by 30 to 39 years (25 percent). Twenty percent were age 50 and older, and 19 percent were ages 20 to 29. One methadone detoxification discharge was reported as younger than age 15, and a small proportion were ages 15 to 19 (1 percent).* Forty-seven percent of clients discharged from methadone detoxification were non-Hispanic White, while 30 percent were of Hispanic origin, 16 percent were non-Hispanic Black, and 7 percent were of other racial/ethnic groups.

* Percentages do not sum to 100 percent because of rounding.

Table 10.2 and Figure 10.3. Females had a higher combined rate of methadone detoxification completion or transfer to further treatment (38 percent) than did males (35 percent). For both males and females who completed methadone detoxification, the median LOS was 20 days.

SOURCE: Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). Data received through 2.1.2006.

Table 10.3 and Figure 10.4. Among the 99 percent of methadone detoxification discharges who were age 20 and older, the combined rate of completion or transfer to further treatment displayed no consistent pattern with age, and was between 34 percent and 38 percent.

The median LOS among methadone detoxification completers was 20 days for all age groups.

SOURCE: Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). Data received through 2.1.2006.

Table 10.4 and Figure 10.5. Non-Hispanic Blacks and non-Hispanic Whites were more likely either to complete methadone detoxification or to be transferred to further treatment (44 percent and 38 percent, respectively) than were discharges of Hispanic origin (28 percent).

The median LOS among methadone detoxification completers was 20 days for all racial/ethnic groups.

SOURCE: Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). Data received through 2.1.2006.

Primary Substance

Table 10.5 and Figure 10.6. Ninety-seven percent of clients discharged from methadone detoxification reported opiates as their primary substance of abuse at admission. Alcohol, cocaine, stimulants, marijuana, and other substances were each reported by 1 percent or less.

Clients who reported opiates as their primary substance at admission (97 percent of all methadone detoxification discharges) had a combined rate of methadone detoxification completion or transfer to further treatment of 34 percent. For the 3 percent of clients who reported substances other than opiates, the combined rates were between 76 percent and 95 percent.

Clients who reported opiates as their primary substance had a median LOS among methadone detoxification completers of 20 days. For clients who reported substances other than opiates, the median LOS was between 5 days and 7 days.

SOURCE: Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). Data received through 2.1.2006.

Frequency of Use

Table 10.6 and Figure 10.7. Eighty-six percent of clients discharged from methadone detoxification reported daily use of their primary substance in the month before entering treatment, 12 percent reported use 3 to 6 times per week, and less than 1 percent reported no use in that period.*

Among methadone detoxification clients who reported daily use of their primary substance in the month before entering treatment, the combined rate of completion or transfer to further treatment was 36 percent. Among those reporting use 3 to 6 times per week in the month before entering treatment, the combined rate was 30 percent. Among the remaining 2 percent of clients, the combined rates were between 57 percent and 60 percent.

The median LOS among methadone detoxification completers was 20 days for the 98 percent of clients who reported either daily use of the primary substance before entering treatment or use three to six times per week. Among the remaining methadone detoxification completers, the median LOS was between 7 days and 20 days.

* Percentages do not sum to 100 percent because of rounding.

SOURCE: Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). Data received through 2.1.2006.

Age at First Use

Table 10.7 and Figure 10.8. Age at first use was reported for only 15 percent of methadone detoxification discharges. Among those reporting age at first use, half (50 percent) first used their primary substance at age 21 or older. The peak age at first use was over age 25 (29 percent of methadone detoxification discharges).

Clients who were younger when they began their substance use were generally more likely either to complete methadone detoxification or to be transferred to further treatment than were clients whose use began later. The combined rate was 63 percent among those whose substance use began at age 12 or younger, and fell to 43 percent among those whose use began after age 25.

The median LOS among methadone detoxification completers was generally longer among clients who were older when they began their substance use. The median LOS was 29 days and 26 days, respectively, among those whose substance use began at ages 21 to 25 and over age 25. It fell to between 6 days and 8 days among those whose use began at age 18 or younger.

SOURCE: Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). Data received through 2.1.2006.

Prior Treatment

Table 10.8 and Figure 10.9. Twenty-eight percent of methadone detoxification discharges had been in treatment five or more times previously, while 22 percent had never been in treatment before.

Clients with fewer prior treatment episodes were more likely either to complete methadone detoxification or to be transferred to further treatment than were clients with more prior treatment episodes. The combined rate fell from 44 percent among those with no prior treatment episodes to 28 percent among those who had been in treatment five or more times.

The median LOS among methadone detoxification completers was the same, 20 days, regardless of the number of prior treatment episodes.

SOURCE: Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). Data received through 2.1.2006.

Treatment Referral Source

Table 10.9 and Figure 10.10. Eighty-five percent of clients discharged from methadone detoxification were self- or individual referrals to treatment, and 3 percent each were referred to treatment by the criminal justice system and by substance abuse treatment providers. Health care providers made up 6 percent, community referrals 2 percent, and schools and employers less than 1 percent each.*

The combined rates of methadone detoxification completion or transfer to further treatment were above the methadone detoxification average of 35 percent for those referred to treatment by health care providers (58 percent), community sources (54 percent), substance abuse treatment providers (53 percent), and through the criminal justice system (49 percent). The combined rate was below average for self- or individual referrals (32 percent).

The median LOS among methadone detoxification completers was 20 days for self- or individual referrals. The median LOS for methadone detoxification completers referred by other sources was between 10 days and 28 days.

* Percentages do not sum to 100 percent because of rounding.

SOURCE: Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). Data received through 2.1.2006.

Employment Status

Table 10.10 and Figure 10.11. Forty percent of clients aged 16 and older discharged from methadone detoxification were not in the labor force. Thirty percent were employed either full time or part time, and 30 percent were unemployed.

The combined rate of methadone detoxification completion or transfer to further treatment displayed no consistent pattern with employment status and was between 29 percent and 45 percent.

The median LOS among clients completing methadone detoxification was the same, 20 days, at all levels of employment.

SOURCE: Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). Data received through 2.1.2006.

Education

Table 10.11 and Figure 10.12. Forty-six percent of clients age 18 and older discharged from methadone detoxification had 12 years of education or a GED. Thirty percent had 9 to 11 years of education, 17 percent had more than 12 years of education, and 7 percent had 8 years of education or less.

The combined rate of methadone detoxification completion or transfer to further treatment was highest among those with more than 12 years of education (39 percent), but displayed no consistent pattern with education and was between 33 percent and 36 percent at the other educational levels.

The median LOS among clients completing methadone detoxification was the same, 20 days, at all levels of education.

SOURCE: Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). Data received through 2.1.2006.

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This page was last updated on June 03, 2008 .

SAMHSA, an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal Government's lead agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services in the United States.