Addiction problems and methadone treatment.

This article reports on a study of the addiction problems of 397 heroin-addicted clients who applied to join a methadone program at an addiction center in The Hague (The Netherlands). Each client was assessed during the intake phase according to the Revised Addiction Severity Index (ASI-R). The results show that for a large group of the methadone clients (minimum of one third) there is an indication for treatment in the life areas of Employment, Drug Use, Legal Status, Social Functioning, and Psychological Functioning of the ASI-R. The article concludes with some recommendations.