Prediction of Dyadic adjustment by Sexual Satisfaction & Relationship Beliefs in Methadone Patients

Background: While methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) in patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) decreases the risk of substance use relapses and criminal and risky sexual behavior, a major disadvantage is its negative impact on sexual function. Sexual satisfaction and marital adjustment are the important aspects of married life that strictly affect the quality and stability of the relationship between couples. The present study aimed to evaluate Prediction of Dyadic adjustment by Sexual Satisfaction & Relationship Beliefs in Methadone Patients.

Materials and Methods: Method was descriptive- correlation. This study examined people under treatment of methadone for at least six month. 74 addicts and their spouses took part in the study by completing questionnaires of relationship beliefs inventory (RBI), Larson sexual satisfaction inventory and revised dyadic adjustment. Demographic information and risk factors were recorded in a questionnaire for every patient. Using spss v.23 software, data were analyzed by descriptive statistics.

Results: drug abuse age and dysfunctional relationship beliefs negatively predicted dyadic adjustment. Sexual satisfaction was a positive and relationship beliefs was a negative factor for prediction of spouse’s dyadic adjustment (01/0>P)..

Conclusions: Patients on MMT are associated with lower sexual desire when compared with patients on BMT. Erectile dysfunction is common in men receiving MMT. The severity of erectile dysfunction is related to the duration of MMT and is not dose-dependent. Therefore, subjects who are on long-term MMT need more frequent erectile dysfunction assessment. Therefore, Use of educational periods and family therapy sessions can be useful in deal with patients and their spouses in addiction treatment centers.