Symptom severity and medication-assisted treatment for individuals with serious mental illness and a history of heroin use

The study examined associations between medication assisted treatment (MAT) and psychiatric symptom severity, measured by Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), among individuals with serious mental illness and a history of heroin use. Of 271 participants, 32% (n=87) reported a history of heroin use and, of those, 14.9% (n=13) reported MAT. Higher scores in PANSS Total, Negative, and Disordered subscales were associated with lower odds, while being on an antipsychotic with higher odds, of receiving MAT. This supports the greater need for clinician attention to different symptom clusters and targeted multidimensional interventions as a way to increase MAT participation.