Running head METHADONE MAINTENACE AND ITS CAPABILITY IN DEALING W.docx

Running head: METHADONE MAINTENACE AND ITS
CAPABILITY IN DEALING WITH HEROIN CRAVING.
1
METHADONE MAINTENACE AND ITS CAPABILITY IN
DEALING WITH HEROIN CRAVING
2
Methadone Maintenance and its Capability in dealing With
Heroin Craving
By Alexa Vigenser
Research Methods/Psych 302
Argosy University
March 4, 2015
Assignment 2 Grading Criteria
Maximum Points
With clarity and good writing style and grammar, you presented
your proposed methods section for your research paper.
· participants (15 points)
· instruments (15 points)
· procedure (15 points)
· ethical issues and how they would be handled (20 points)
Overall, nice work in these sections, for the most part they were
specific and detailed. Please review my comments on your paper
for more help on how to improve this section.

55/65
You submitted an introduction and literature review that
included a research question, a statement regarding the
importance of the research topic, background information and a
review of the literature regarding the topic, and a proposed
hypotheses. Good start with your introduction Alexa. The
introduction and review of the literature should be at least 2 full
pages in length. In addition, you need to support your
information and ideas with scholarly sources, you should
include at least 4 of the scholarly sources you found to support
your review of the literature.
The introduction is an introduction to your topic, research
question and hypothesis and then you go into the literature
review. The literature review then is a critical and in depth
evaluation of previous research. It is a summary and synopsis of
a particular area of research, allowing anybody reading the
paper to establish why you are pursuing this particular research
study. A good literature review expands upon the reasons
behind selecting a particular research question.
It is not a chronological catalog of all of the sources, but an
evaluation, integrating the previous research together, and also
explaining how it integrates into the proposed research program.
All sides of an argument must be clearly explained, to avoid
bias, and areas of agreement and disagreement should be
highlighted.
It is not a collection of quotes and paraphrasing from other
sources. A good literature review should also have some
evaluation of the quality and findings of the research.
15/20
You wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner;
demonstrated ethical scholarship in accurate representation and
attribution of sources; and displayed accurate spelling,
grammar, and punctuation. Your formatting is starting to take
shape, keep working on it.

13/15
Total:
83/100
Methadone MaintenaceMaintenance and Its Capability in
Dealing With Heroin Craving
Introduction
Heroin is a highly addictive and illegal substance that is
manufactured and processed from morphine, morphine is a
substance that is extracted from the seed pod of numerous
poppy plants. Naturally, heroin is sold in white powder or it is
s black sticky substance known as “black tar”. Heroin is the
most rapidly used opiates in today’s society, and while purer
heroin is becoming more common, it is also being mixed with
other drugs or even substances such as powdered milk, sugar,
starch, or quinine. In many cases, heroin has a side effect that
causes the user to suffer from withdrawal symptoms in the case
where one tries to stops using it (Libby, 2007).
These withdrawal symptoms include; stomach cramps, the body
either feels cold or hot, sweating, body aches and pains,
restlessness, nausea and vomiting, poor sleep, and diarrhea.
However, these withdrawal symptoms tend to take at least five
days before they disappear but still the craving for heroin gets
stronger every day. Methadone, on the other hand, is also a drug
just like heroin, however, it takes a longer time being active in
the body of the user. Methadone is a drug that is prescribed to
heroin users to avoid suffering from the withdrawal systems
once they stop abusing heroin. In cases where there are
symptoms even after use of methadone, the effects are less
severe (Libby, 2007). As much as methadone is effective in
eliminating or reducing withdrawal symptoms in a heroin addict
can it as well manage to eliminate the craving that the heroin
addict suffers after stopping the abuse? In addition, is
methadone an effective treatment to opiate abusers? These are
the two major research questions that this essay intends to
research upon and answer.

Literature Review
According to physicians and doctors that deal with those that
suffer from drug addiction, especially heroin use, know that
heroin is a highly addictive substance, and its effects are
extremely hazardous just as it is the case with opiate abuse. To
begin with, methadone is usually a long-term maintenance
treatment plan especially for people who depend on heroin and
opium. Immediately methadone is administered to a heroin
addict patient, the main intention is usually to improve the
general condition of the addict by helping the addict from
suffering withdrawal symptoms which affect the addict
emotionally, physically, and psychologically (Libby, 2007).
Methadone is known for taking long hours before its effects can
start being realized. At times, a single dose of methadone takes
from four to five days before it starts working and fighting
heroin in the body or the craving aspect. After it starts working,
it lasts at least one to two days in the body. This calls for a lot
of patience from the drug addict patient for methadone to work.
Methadone as a matter of fact significantly reduces the craving
for heroin in a drug addict patients. With gradual diminishing of
the craving, methadone eventually eliminates the entire craving,
and the drug abuser is able to lead a normal life free from
drugs. However, since methadone is a long-term treatment plan
and the drug abuser is at high risk of heroin craving, the
doctor’s advice is that as methadone continues to work in the
body, the addict should keep busy with personal affairs and also
attend counseling programs (Rosdahl, & Kowalski, 2008).
There is no definite time after which a heroin and opiate drug
addict persons are said that he/she should stop using methadone.
This is because doctors say that different patients respond
differently to treatment. Also, in cases where methadone is
used as the prescription and the user uses it wrongly, it has its
own side effects in the body of the user thus taking it even
longer to heal the craving (Burson, 2010). There are at least
three different characteristics that doctors use to tell that a drug
addict has fully recovered from the addiction and craving.

These symptoms include;
· Life stability for a period exceeding one year on the
methadone maintenance treatment plan and shows the will and
want to stay away from heroin.
· Sign of improvement even when the doctor reduces the
methadone dose to the drug addict patient thus showing that the
body has fully responded to methadone and can survive without
the methadone treatment.
· Taking up life challenges and responsibilities just like any
other ordinary person. For instance, taking care of one's family,
business, support, and counseling other heroin drugs addicts,
and working efficiently in employment (Burson, 2010).
For many years society viewed Methadone Maintenance Clinics
as a trade out for heroin users and felt that, while it stopped the
craving for heroin, it did not change the addictive behavior. “A
combination of counseling and psycho-pharmaceutical support
to methadone detoxification is most effective” (Myers and &
Salt, 2013).
Methadone is safe medication when it comes to fighting
narcotic drugs, and a patient can use the drug without fear until
the patient feels that he/she is well again. However, it is proper
to follow the doctor’s advice strictly faithfully.
Methods Comment by Yvonne Bustamante: Your methods
section should be broken up into the 4 sections participants,
instruments, procedure, and ethical issues, as shown in the
template and Sample research paper.
This being a research case apart from the information from
doctors, 20 other participants was randomly selected. Similarly,
they are all patients of drug abuse of either opium or heroin. It
was wise to proof the doctor’s word either right or wrong using
people from different regions for the purpose of watching their
reaction and body response to methadone. All the 20
participants were injected with an equal dose of methadone
regardless whether one had abused opium or heroin.
Surprisingly just like the doctor had said, at least 12
participants did not at all suffer from withdrawal symptoms

while the 8 remaining suffered slight withdrawal symptoms.
Surprisingly, among the 20 participants, two drug patients both
having abused heroine seemed to have methadone reaction in
their bodies on the third day. This was contrary to the doctors
information that methadone is supposed to take four to five days
before its effects can be realized along with the leveled out dose
for each. The fourth day saw eight more heroin abusers start to
respond to methadone. The first opium abuse patient began to
show signs of response at the end of the five-day while as the
other four opium abusers responded the sixth day. However,
none of heroin abuse participant went beyond the earlier said
five days to respond. This brought the research to a conclusion
that different abusers respond different, and that opium abusers
can take more that the said five days to respond (Burson, 2010).
A further surprise was the reality that the methadone dose has
stopped being active after one day to all the participants.
However, the craving continued to exceed each and every day as
the participants continued to receive more methadone doses.
Comment by Yvonne Bustamante: This should not be
written as though you have completed the study, but is a
proposal for the methods section for a study to test your
hypothesis.
For the procedure section you need to discuss your procedure.
This section should be very specific. It should be a set of
instructions of what you did with your participants to perform
the study. It needs details and needs to be specific to your
study.
The procedure includes the step-by-step instructions for your
experiment. The procedure should include these two sections,
which you answered above:
• A description of the experimental design and how
participants were assigned conditions.

• Identification of your independent variable(s) (IV),
dependent variable(s) (DV), and control variables. Give your
variables clear, meaningful names so that your readers are not
confused.
Along with:
• Important instructions to participants.
A step-by-step listing in chronological order of what
participants did during the experiment.
For example, you mentioned using surveys and an interview, but
it is not mentioned here in your procedure section.
Conclusion
Heroin and opium abuses are a dangerous engagement that has
numerous and irreversible hazardous effects to the abuser.
Despite that methadone is known and has been proved to have
the capabilities of overcoming the withdrawal symptoms and
crave, it is a slow and gradual treatment plan process that
requires a lot of patience from the abuser. However, the longer
the patient takes the methadone dose and abides by the doctors
recommendations, the faster the patient recovers from both
heroin and opium abuse.
References
Burson, J. (2010). Pain pill addiction: A prescription for hope.
Indianapolis, IN: Dog Ear Publ.
Libby, T. A. (2007). Heroin: The basics. Center City: Hazelden.
Rosdahl, C. B., & Kowalski, M. T. (2008). Textbook of basic
nursing. Philadelphia: Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins.
Myers, P.L, Salt, N.R. (2013). Becoming An Addictions
Counselor , A Comprehensive Text (3rd ED).

Retrieved online from
http://publish.jblearning.com/index.php?mod=jbbrowse&act=bo
ok_details&id=271
RUNNING HEAD: METHODS OF RESEARCH
1
METHODS OF RESEARCH
9
Methods of Research
By Alexa Vigenser
Research Methods/Psy 302
3/11/15
Good work Alexa (, Please find your feedback attached. Please
open this attachment for very detailed feedback on how you can
revise and improve subsequent assignments. Kind regards,
Yvonne B.
Maximum Points
1) Explanation and justification of research question.
12/12
2) Presentation of hypothesis and null hypothesis.
16/16
3) Analysis of participants exclusion/inclusion factors.
16/16
4) Explanation of sampling technique and characterization of
population that sample generalized.
12/12
5) Identification of study's variables.

12/12
6) Operational definitions for each variable are defined.
16/16
7) Development of methods to measure each variable, and the
reliability and validity of these measures are evaluated.
16/16
8) Description of technique(s) used for data collection.
12/12
9) Description of the research design being used.
12/12
10) Identification of the research procedure.
5/12
11) Prediction of POTENTIAL ethical issues; POTENTIAL
ethical issues are evaluated in terms of how they would be
addressed.
20/20
Organization:
· Introduction
· Thesis
· Transitions
· Conclusion
12/12
Usage and Mechanics:

· Grammar
· Spelling
· Sentence Structure
12/12
APA Elements:
· Attribution
· Paraphrasing
· Quotations
16/16
Style:
· Audience
· Word Choice
4/4
Total:
193/200
I. Research question
This study aims at answering the research question of whether
or not methadone maintenance manages to take away the
craving of heroine use and how it is an effective treatment to
opiate abusers. This will be made possible through collecting a
sample of the heroine abusers and putting them under
observation for a period of 40 days. The selected people will be
monitored once in a while to ensure that they follow the
stipulated rule (Cohen, 2005).
II. Hypothesis

Sufficient maintenance of methadone treatment in the society
can be able to help people who crave for heroine to take that
craving away and for the opiate abusers; this can also be an
effective treatment as opposed to those not using the treatment
(O'Connor, 2004). This is because methadone treatment can act
like a detox in order for those to keep off of street drugs like
heroine. Once people who use heroine are able to establish a
dose that is regular, they can be able to stay on methadone for a
long period of time, which in other words can be called
maintenance and this helps them stay away from heroine and
takes away the craving for heroine.
With time, most of these people gradually reduce the methadone
dose and come out of it because of its detoxification ability.
Methadone is able to fight the craving of heroine because of its
ability to stay long in the person’s body. In addition to that,
with methadone maintenance treatment, people who abuse
opium can be able to stabilize their lives and be in a position to
reduce the harm that is associated with drug abuse. The goal of
methadone maintenance treatment is to stabilize the people who
use heroine in order to improve their general well-being through
physical withdrawal prevention. Therefore, with the doses of
methadone through the doctor’s prescription, their heroine
craving will be diminished slowly by methadone, hence
reducing and eventually eliminating the heroine cravings
(Cohen, 2005).
II B. Null hypothesis
Methadone maintenance is unrelated to the decrease of heroine
craving and it is not an effective treatment for opiate abusers.
This statement show that any effects be they negative or
positive that are observed after the treatment are as a result of
chance (O'Connor, 2004). The question that is answered here in
terms of statistics is, if the samples to prove the hypothesis
indeed came from the population that is similar with regard to

the outcome, then how likely is the result that is obtained?
III. Number of participants
In conducting this research the number of participants that will
be used are twenty because that is a sample that is manageable
and they will be able to represent the rest of the population of
people who are abusers of opium and heroine. The inclusion
characteristics will be that they should be of both genders that
is; male and female, from the age of 18 to 35 and more
specifically, they should be abusers of heroine or opium.
Besides that, the samples will hold people from all races such
as; Hispanic, Black-Americans, and Caucasians (Laurel, 2003).
The sample will also be specifically from Phoenix. The
exclusion characteristics would be; those people who have only
used heroine once in their life or twice because they do not have
an addiction. The study will be focused more on those with a
history of abusing heroine and opium for a period of more than
two years (Ardilly, 2006). This sample is not diverse because it
only focuses with people who have abused heroine and opium
for more than two years meaning that it does not include any
person who have abused these drugs for less than two years. In
addition to that, it also focuses mainly on heroine and opium
and not any other forms of drugs meaning that it is not very
diverse in terms of the diagnosis. On the other hand, it can also
be said to be diverse in some way because it has reduced
biasness by including samples from both genders; male and
female and also people from the different ages from 18 to 35.
IV. Sampling technique
In collecting the sample from the population, we will use the
stratified sampling technique in order to reduce the sampling
error that is associated with other methods like random
sampling methods (Laurel, 2003). Here a subset of the
population will be chosen and from the sample we mentioned

earlier, the subset involves people who are from phoenix, from
all different races with the specification of abusing heroine
and/or opium for a period of more than 2 years and from the age
of 18 to 35.
This method will be easier to use since the sample will be put
in different stratums depending on the stated inclusion
characteristics. The population of this sample generalizes only
to the population of heroine abusers meaning that it is not
general to the whole of the Phoenix population since the whole
of the phoenix population is not made up of drug abusers.
Therefore this means that the sample is only general to the
small population of drug abusers and specifically heroine and/or
opium abusers (Ardilly, 2006).
V & VI. Variables
There are two main variables in research; independent and
dependent variables. The independent variables are those
objects which can be subject to manipulation by the researcher
while the dependent variables are the responses that the
researcher measures (Craighead, 2002). In our hypothesis we
stated that sufficient maintenance of methadone treatment in the
society can be able to help people who crave for heroine take
that craving away and for the opiate abusers, this can also be an
effective treatment as opposed to those not using the treatment.
Here, the independent variable is sufficient methadone
treatment. On the other hand, the dependent variables are taking
away cravings of heroine abusers and effective treatment for
opium abusers. This is because, like we said, the researcher has
control over the independent variable which in this case is the
methadone maintenance treatment (Sales, 2000).Therefore, the
researcher will use the methadone maintenance treatment in
dosages to see the effect on the abusers of heroine or opium and
see if the craving rates will decrease. This means that the
consequence is the reduction of the craving rates which are the
dependent variables in our study.

VII. Measurement of variables
In measuring each variable, we can use the interval
measurement whereby a rank order and the difference in the
results can be provided to determine the people who were able
to stop the craving for heroine through the methadone
maintenance treatment and understand what made the difference
for those who were not able to stop the craving by comparing
them with those that stopped (Laurel, 2003). This measurement
level is reliable because it focuses on the measurement
consistency since even when it is repeated again and again it
will produce the same results. On the other hand, it can be said
to be valid because it is measuring the item of interest which is
the methadone maintenance treatment on doing away with
raving levels of heroine.
VIII. Data collection methods
In collecting the relevant data to the study, the method used will
be direct observation because this will be the most accurate
ways to ensure that the proper results are given (Sales, 2000).
Therefore with this method, it will be possible to know the
people who have relapsed and those who are indeed reducing
their craving for heroine and make an unbiased conclusion.
IX. Research design
The research designed used in the study is a case study design
since it will be in a position to provide an in-depth study of the
research question being investigated and be able to narrow
down the broad question into an easy example of research
(Laurel, 2003). This is an effective design for research since it
will help provide descriptions that are detailed on the specific
and rare cases of this topic on methadone maintenance and its
ability to stop heroine craving.
X. Procedures of conducting research
In conducting this research the procedures that would be
followed are;

· Identifying the problem; this involves forming the research
question and giving basis information and knowledge of the
stated problem.
· Clarifying the problem; here the problem is narrowed to the
scope of the study. This is done after the literature has been
reviewed (Laurel, 2003). Whereby in the review, the researcher
states more on the problem and what has been done before
involving the topic
· Defining the population; here the researcher chooses the
sample in which the study can be tested in order to prove the
hypothesis of the study. The population should be representative
enough (Ardilly, 2006).
· Collecting data; this is a critical step since it is needed so that
the researcher can be capable of answering the questions on the
research topic
· Analyzing the data; this is done according to the researcher’s
plan. Here the results of the data are compared among each
other and the researcher determines the reliable ones from the
unreliable ones.
XI. Potential ethical issues in research
· Following the rules of informed consent
Researchers should always ensure that they inform the
participants of the research of the purpose of the study, the
procedure and the duration of the study (Ardilly, 2006). In
addition to that, they should also tell them of any prospective
benefits that can be expected of the study as well as the
potential risks.
· Confidentiality and privacy
Besides that, it is important to respect their privacy and assure
them of confidentiality. This can be made possible by
discussing with them the limits of confidentiality, taking

practical measures on the security of the participants as well as
knowing the state and federal laws (Sales, 2000).
References
Sales, B.D., & Folkman, S. (Eds.). (2000). Ethics in research
with human participants. Washington, DC: American
Psychological Association.
Ardilly, P., & Tillé, Y. (2006). Sampling methods: Exercises
and solutions. (Springer e-books.) New York: Springer.
Cohen, L. J., Gertmenian-King, E., Kunik, L., Weaver, C.,
London, E. D., & Galynker, I. (2005). Personality measures in
former heroin users receiving methadone or in protracted
abstinence from opiates. Acta Psychiatrica
Scandinavica, 112(2), 149-158.
Craighead, W. E., & Corsini, R. J. (2002). The Corsini
encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral science. New York:
Wiley.
Laurel, B. (2003). Design research: Methods and perspectives.
Cambridge, Mass. ; London, England: MIT Press.
O'Connor, A. (2004, Aug 03). New ways to loosen addiction's
grip. New York Times.
�Good work idenotfying your null hypothesis. (
�Once again, nice work on idenotofying your variables. (
�
�

�
For question 10 you need to discuss your procedure. �This
section should be very specific. It should be a set of instructions
of what you did with your participants to perform the study. It
needs details and needs to be specific to your study.
The procedure includes the step-by-step instructions for your
experiment. The procedure should include these two sections,
which you answered above:
• A description of the experimental design and how
participants were assigned conditions.
• Identification of your independent variable(s) (IV),
dependent variable(s) (DV), and control variables. Give your
variables clear, meaningful names so that your readers are not
confused.
Along with:
• Important instructions to participants.

A step-by-step listing in chronological order of what
participants did during the experiment.
For example, you mentioned using surveys and an interview, but
it is not mentioned here in your procedure section.
RUNNING HEAD: METHADONE MAINTENANCE: TAKES
THE CRAVING OF HEROIN USE AWAY AND IS AN
EFFECTIVE TREATMENT TO OPIATE ABUSERS
RUNNING HEAD: METHADONE MAINTENANCE: TAKES
THE CRAVING OF HEROIN USE AWAY AND IS AN
EFFECTIVE TREATMENT TO OPIATE ABUSERS
9
Methadone Maintenance: Takes the Craving of Heroin Use
Away and is an Effective Treatment to Opiate Abusers
By Alexa Vigenser
Research Methods/Psych 302
Argosy University
March 4, 2015
Nice work Alexa, Please find your feedback attached. Be sure to
review it and incorporate it into subsequent assignments. Take
care, Yvonne B.

Maximum Points
Provided five additional valid references and explained the
reasoning behind their selection. Great selection, nice job
researching.
20/20
Discussed the sampling technique for the proposed study and
included the aspects of generalization, inclusion, and ethical
issues as requested in the assignment Nice work in this section.
23/25
Provided a detailed outline of the intro/literature review section
of the paper, along with revised hypothesis. Alexa, you have a
good start to your outline for your review of the literature
outline. However, it needs development and should include at
least 4 references to support your information (these should be
from the references you found in this assignment and the first
assignment). Your outline needs to be an outline for your
review of the literature, which you need to write for the Module
4 Assignment. A review of the literature is contains four main
components:
· Introduction to the problem
As you write the outline, make sure your paper mentions how
the previous research in the area leads to your question.
· Background for the current study
This section requires extensive planning and legwork. Your idea
and research question evolve as you gather information and read
articles and book chapters. Therefore, your understanding of the
topic grows and you reorganize the information as per your
thinking and approach. It is important to reorganize information
using a specific method.
· Purpose of the current study

· Rationale behind each hypothesis you propose
In the next two subsections—purpose and rationale—you will
explain to the reader what you hope to accomplish and why your
question makes sense.
17/25
Included an APA-style title page and reference page (with at
least 10 references). If you use the templates provided in Doc
Sharing this will help you out with your formatting. Also, be
sure to use my feedback from M1_A3 to help with your
formatting.
10/10
Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrated
ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of
sources; displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
20/20
Total:
90/100
a. Introduction/statement of the problem (methadone effects on
heroine)
I. Does methadone dose variations increase or decrease heroine
craving
II. Many people are addicted to heroine and with this study, it
can help establish the people who might be at risk and how to
help them get the needed help
III. If we can establish the relationship between methadone
dosage and heroine craving, then we can be able to know if it
indeed increases or decreases the cravings
b. Literature review
Methadone is a medication that has opium contents. It has been

used to help people with heroin addiction and others with a
history of narcotic drug abuse problem by reducing their
withdrawal symptoms. It has also been used as a reliever of pain
as part of the detoxification of drug addiction and it can only be
found at pharmacies that are certified (Curran, 1999).
Curran, H. V., Bolton, J., Wanigaratne, S., & Smyth, C. (1999).
Additional methadone increases
craving for heroin: A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of
chronic opiate users
receiving methadone substitution treatment. Addiction, 94(5),
665-74. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/199658703?accountid=2163
The medication should not be used by people who have
breathing problems or asthma since it can slow down or in worst
case scenario, stop their breathing. It should also not be used in
amounts that are large or longer than the prescription
(LoVecchio, 2007). Since the medication can cause life-
threatening heart disorders, it is important to consult a doctor
before taking the medication.
LoVecchio, F., Pizon, A., Riley, B., Sami, A., & D'Incognito, C.
(2007). Onset of symptoms
after methadone overdose. The American Journal of Emergency
Medicine, 25(1), 57-9.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2006.07.006
Statistics on methadone shows that its use is widespread. A
study that was conducted a few years back in Victoria,
Australia, showed that its use is quite vast and that many people
have died using the medication (Pilgrim, 2013). The study
showed that 206 deaths resulted from its use whereby these
people took high dosages of the medicine without prescriptions.
It also showed that within 14 days of commencing the use of
methadone, 51 people died of which 15 were female and the
remaining 36 were male.

Pilgrim, J. L., McDonough, M., & Drummer, O. H. (2013). A
review of methadone deaths
between 2001 and 2005 in Victoria, Australia. Forensic Science
International (Online),
226(1), 216-22.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2013.01.028
The factors that increase the mortality of opioid medication in
America and other areas around the world are many (King,
2014). Some of the main factors include the following.
· Prescriber behavior
· User behavior and characteristics
· Environmental and systematic determinants
According to the population and geography, these factors
operate in ways that are independent and interact in complex
ways.
King, N. B., Fraser, V., Boikos, C., Richardson, R., & Harper,
S. (2014). Determinants of
increased opioid-related mortality in the United States and
Canada, 1990-2013: A
systematic review. American Journal of Public Health, 104(8),
e32-42. Retrieved from
3
Based on the research, the demographic characteristics in terms
of the relationship between methadone use and gender shows
that men are the ones who use methadone more compared to
women (Moreno, 2002).Women who use increased methadone
are said to be those suffering from poverty. It also shows that a
great percentage of women who are pregnant also use
methadone.
Moreno, C. L., El-Bassel, N., Gilbert, L., & Wada, T. (2002).

Correlates of poverty and partner
abuse among women on methadone. Violence Against Women,
8(4), 455-475. Retrieved
from
Sampling
The sampling technique that can be used in the study is
stratified sampling where the people with the common
characteristic being that they are from one area and they are
heroine abusers. They can be reached through advertising and
volunteering.
The sample does not however generalize the population because
it only involves people with the characteristic of heroine abuse
in the city of Phoenix. Therefore, not every person abuses
heroine in Phoenix and if there are others, they may be taking
other forms of drugs. This therefore makes the sample not to be
representative of the whole population but of the heroine
abusers population.
The inclusion criteria that would be used would be participants
of both genders, with an abuse problem of heroine and from the
city of Phoenix and from all the available races. This means that
any other person who does not hold the said characteristics
would be excluded from the sample.
The ethical issues that can be encountered when collecting
information from the selected sample would be;
Respecting the people; there is need to show respect to these
people through the principle of informed consent whereby the
people in the selected sample are made aware of the purpose of
the study being conducted, how it would help them and the
guarantee that the information will not be used against them.
Justice; this can be exercised during the sample selection
whereby a fair inclusion opportunity is given to all while
ensuring that no exploitation takes place especially in the
populations that are vulnerable.

References
Moreno, C. L., El-Bassel, N., Gilbert, L., & Wada, T. (2002).
Correlates of poverty and partner abuse among women on
methadone. Violence Against Women, 8(4), 455-475. Retrieved
from
this article, talks of the relationship between women stricken
with poverty with the use of methadone. Such women also face
quite a lot of violence from the male counterparts.
King, N. B., Fraser, V., Boikos, C., Richardson, R., & Harper,
S. (2014). Determinants of increased opioid-related mortality in
the United States and Canada, 1990-2013: A systematic review.
American Journal of Public Health, 104(8), e32-42. Retrieved
from
3 The article shows the factors that contribute to increase in the
mortality of opioid in America.
Pilgrim, J. L., McDonough, M., & Drummer, O. H. (2013). A
review of methadone deaths between 2001 and 2005 in Victoria,
Australia. Forensic Science International (Online), 226(1), 216-
22. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2013.01.028 the
article shows a review of a survey of the number of deaths
resulting from methadone abuse.
LoVecchio, F., Pizon, A., Riley, B., Sami, A., & D'Incognito, C.
(2007). Onset of symptoms after methadone overdose. The
American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 25(1), 57-9.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2006.07.006 the article
talks of the symptoms of having an overdose of methadone and
what can be done in such a situation.
Curran, H. V., Bolton, J., Wanigaratne, S., & Smyth, C. (1999).
Additional methadone increases craving for heroin: A double-
blind, placebo-controlled study of chronic opiate users
receiving methadone substitution treatment. Addiction, 94(5),
665-74. Retrieved from

it proves the research topic by showing that indeed methadone
can increase the craving of heroin among drug abusers of
heroine.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2005.00546.x
Rass, O., Kleykamp, B. A., Vandrey, R. G., Bigelow, G. E.,
Leoutsakos, J., Stitzer, M. L., . . . Mintzer, M. Z. (2014).
Cognitive performance in methadone maintenance patients:
Effects of time relative to dosing and maintenance dose level.
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 22(3), 248-
256. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0035712
Sarkar, S., & Mattoo, S. K. (2012). Newer approaches to opioid
detoxification. Industrial Psychiatry Journal, 21(2), 163–167.
doi:10.4103/0972-6748.119652
Amato L, Davoli M, Minozzi S, Ferroni E, Ali R, Ferri M.
Methadone at tapered doses for the management of opioid
withdrawal. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2013,
Issue 2. Art. No.: CD003409. DOI:
10.1002/14651858.CD003409.pub4.
Greenwald, M. K. (2002). Heroin craving and drug use in
opioid-maintained volunteers: Effects of methadone dose
variation. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology,
10(1), 39-46. Retrieved from
9
�APA recommends that your title be no more than 12 words in
length and that it should not contain abbreviations or words that
serve no purpose. Your title may take up one or two lines

�Is this your revised hypothesis? If so this is a good start, but
your hypothesis, should make a prediction. You will want it to
be specific enough that you can easily design a study to test it.
For example, “Methadone is an effective treatment for heroin
addiction if the correct dosage is administered and maintained.
In correct doses will result in ineffective treatment.”
�Okay good, and how many people would you like to include in
your study and why?
RUNNING HEAD: METHADONE, AN EFFECTIVE
ALTERNATIVE TO OPIATE 1 DEPENDENCY AND IT’S
SAFETY
Methadone, An Effective Alternative to Opiate Dependency and
its Safety
By Alexa Vigenser
Argosy University
Research Methods/PSY302 A06
February 23, 2015
Good work Alexa, please be sure to open up your attachment
below for more detailed feedback that you will need to make
revisions for future assignments. If you have any questions let
me know. Kind regards, Yvonne B.

Maximum Points
Created a research question based on a research topic approved
by the instructor and submitted a testable hypothesis. Your
research question and hypothesis are missing. Your next step
will be to develop both a research question, which should be
just that a question you have about our topic and then you need
your hypothesis. Your hypothesis should be a one sentence
declarative statement that makes a prediction. It should answer
your own research question.
0/15
Submitted citations in the form of an APA-style reference page
for five articles and included a paragraph summarizing each
article and discussing its relevance. There are some documents
in Doc Sharing that give some tips on APA formatting. In
addition, there are templates you need to be using for each of
the assignments accept M3_A2. Be sure to watch the videos
posted in the Webliography as well.
39/40
Ensured that all the articles are from peer-reviewed journals.
Very nice, your articles are relevant and all from peer-reviewed
journals. :-)
20/20
Submitted a title page for the submission.
5/5
Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrated
ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of
sources; displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
20/20
Total:
84/100

Greenwald, M. K. (2002). Heroin craving and drug use in
opioid-maintained volunteers: Effects of methadone dose
variations. Experimental and Clinical
Psychopharmacology, 10(1), 39-46. Retrieved from
9 Comment by Yvonne Bustamante: Be sure to double space
all of your work and papers, and all lines after the first line of
each entry in your reference list should be indented one-half
inch from the left margin. This is called hanging indentation.
Otherwise very nice formatting.
The research questions being investigated in this article was to
determine whether or not methadone dose variations would
increase or decrease the craving of heroin (2002). The method
involved volunteers that were found in the Detroit area through
advertisement and through word of mouth, there were eighteen
volunteers in total that completed the study out of 35, seventeen
were disqualified due to continued heroin or other drug use or
for not showing up when needed and each were given money for
their participation (2002). There were 10 men and 8 women
with 11 being African-American and 7 Caucasian. The study
was conducted in two (2) phases, the first phase included each
volunteer going into the clinic to have methadone given to them
with the dosage increasing daily to where the withdrawal

symptoms of the opiate use would decrease all together (2002).
Each day they would come in, they were to let the physician
know of the withdrawal symptoms and signs that they were
experiencing and the dose of methadone would increase 5mg-
10mg. this happened over a period of 36 days (2002). During
phase 2, the volunteers were being weaned off of the methadone
slowly to see if the craving of the opiates would come back and
to see if there were signs of possible relapse, this occurred over
a 36 day period. During each session, urine was taken and
testing was done to ensure that there were no other opiates in
their system. It was found that in Phase 2, the decrease in
methadone did in fact have impact on the volunteers and each
experienced withdrawal symptoms and signs of cravings for
heroin and that two of the volunteers dropped out (2002). The
results revealed that the detoxification process for each
individual is different, therefore they were unable to state
whether or not methadone actually does take the craving of
heroin away completely, they did find that while the volunteers
were on the methadone, the craving for heroin had in fact gone
away once the dosage for each was maintained at the level that
worked best for each (2002). One thing that should have been
taken into consideration would have been to have the volunteers
stay at the clinic the entire time the study was conducted, if this
would have been the case, then the experimenter could have
seen how long the methadone lasted for and see the signs of
withdrawal and distress for themselves. If this would have
happened then they would have been able to incorporate this
into their study rather than letting the volunteers go home and
then coming in the following day and then asking them a series
of questions.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2005.00546.x

The objective in this article is the effectiveness of methadone
maintenance therapy among those addicted to opiates, it
compares personality traits between previous heroin addicts and
those that are receiving methadone maintenance therapy to see
if there is a difference between the selections of treatment
(2005). The method used is 26 former heroin addicts that are
receiving treatment through methadone maintenance therapy, 33
former heroin addicts that are withdrawn from the methadone
maintenance therapy, and 43 individuals that are healthy with
each having been compared on the Million Clinical Multiaxial
Inventory-II along with the Temperament and Character
Inventory (2005). The results showed that the 26 heroin addicts
receiving methadone treatment therapy had a higher novelty
seeking and lower self-directedness scores on the Temperament
and Character Inventory and that both the 26 former heroin
addicts receiving methadone treatment along with the 33 former
heroin addicts withdrawn from methadone treatment scored
higher in many scales on the Million Clinical Multiaxial
Inventory-II than the 43 healthy individuals (2005). The 33
former heroin addicts scored higher on two cluster A Scales and
the delusion disorder scale than both the 43 healthy individuals
and the 26 heroin addicts that are currently receiving methadone
treatment. In conclusion, it appeared that those who were
previous opiate addicts may require additional treatment options
than previously recognized and that therapeutic treatment may
also be effective alongside of the Methadone Treatment Therapy
(2005).
Rass, O., Kleykamp, B. A., Vandrey, R. G., Bigelow, G. E.,
Leoutsakos, J., Stitzer, M. L., . . . Mintzer, M. Z. (2014).
Cognitive performance in methadone maintenance patients:
Effects of time relative to dosing and maintenance dose
level.Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 22(3),
248-256. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0035712
The objective in this article is to investigate the cognitive and
psychomotor performance in in 51 methadone maintenance
patients from the last methadone dose along with the

maintenance dose level, these doses range from 40mg-200mg
(2014). The participants were 51 methadone maintenance
patients with 59% being women were recruited from an
outpatient methadone clinic in Baltimore, these participants
have been in the program for at least 6 months and the dosage
varied for each. All of the participants were informed of what
the study entailed and each signed a consent and were paid for
their participation. The study was conducted by the participants
completing two performance testing sessions within a week of
each other. The participants would attend their regular clinic for
dosing and then on session days, they would report to the
research unit located at John Hopkins Behavioral Pharmacology.
The participants were administered an oral solution 120 minutes
before, and immediately after the performance testing battery
for each of the two sessions. The testing that was performed
were sensory processing, psychomotor function, attention,
working memory, and episodic memory and metamemory
(2014). Analysis was then conducted on each dependent
measure in the cognitive battery, each session was relative to
their dosing of methadone both during both the peak session of
the methadone and their maintenance dose level. Results
showed that both the cognitive and the psychomotor
performances were worse at the peak time (120 minutes after
taking the methadone) versus the maintenance level (about 26
hours after the methadone dose), however there was not enough
to be clinically significant (2014).
Sarkar, S., & Mattoo, S. K. (2012). Newer approaches to opioid
detoxification. Industrial Psychiatry Journal, 21(2), 163–167.
doi:10.4103/0972-6748.119652
The objective in this article is to find other methods of
detoxification for those that suffer from addiction to opiates.
The strategy was that was conducted in October of 2011 was
that 659 peer reviewed articles were identified using PubMed
and PsychInfo databases with keywords used such as opioid and
detoxification (2012). The researchers then gathered the results
and method used from each of these articles and then further

studied those (2012). The results showed that many of the non-
opioids that have been used for detoxification have been
effective in taking the cravings and withdrawal symptoms away,
however if tapered off to quickly, the relapse rate is high. The
medications that are be used for detoxification have proven to
be effective, but the potential to misuse this medication is still
an ongoing concern. Currently there is still no known
medication that has been found that does not have potential for
abuse that is cost effective, safe, and requires minimal
monitoring (2012).
Amato L, Davoli M, Minozzi S, Ferroni E, Ali R, Ferri M.
Methadone at tapered doses for the management of opioid
withdrawal. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2013,
Issue 2. Art. No.: CD003409. DOI:
10.1002/14651858.CD003409.pub4.
The objective in this article is to evaluate how effective the
tapering is of methadone compared to the many other
detoxification treatments and placebo for those addicted to
opiates from withdrawal symptoms to the completion of the
detoxification process (2013). This study also will show the
relapse rate as well. There were 23 trials that took place among
2,467 people in which the researchers compared methadone to
any other pharmacological treatment, and it was found that
there was no difference (2013). There were 19 other studies
that were completed on 1,381 participants, however the
researchers found it to be impossible to pool the data for these
individuals due to each experiencing different symptoms and
each being on different dosages and different programs (2013).
The conclusion showed that tapering methadone slowly was the
most effective way for the opiate addict, however the relapse
rate was still very high (2013).
So the question here is: Methadone, is this an effective
alternative to opiate dependency and is it safe? When reading
these articles, I expected to have my hypothesis confirmed
along with more eye opening accounts to assist me in my
personal and honest life situation. These articles have been very

informative and helpful and will fit in with the research paper
that is being done on effective treatment and chemical
dependency. It shows that methadone can be very helpful and
that given the right dose, it does take away the cravings and
withdrawal symptoms and use of heroin, however, when it
comes to tapering off of methadone, the process will take longer
depending on the individual themselves. Successful recovery is
not very high, but with the right supports in place, it appears as
though it is possible, another factor to take in, is the mindset of
the addict and their willingness and desire to quite using
opiates. Through close monitoring of a physician, it is possible
that this is an effective treatment option for those suffering
addiction from opiates. Ongoing counseling to determine the
root cause of the addiction along with possible future
medication monitoring for the damages that the opiates may
have caused is an another method that should fall hand and hand
with the above statement.

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