Geographical differences in risk‐taking among Sydney methadone maintenance patients: a comparison of inner city and outer south western methadone maintenance patients

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Abstract
The study compared the demographic profiles, treatment factors, current drug use, injecting behaviour and psychological functioning of inner city (ICS) and south‐west Sydney (SWS) methadone patients. A total of 104 patients from two clinics in the inner city, and 118 patients from two clinics in the outer south‐western suburbs of Sydney were interviewed using a structured interview. SWS patients were more likely to be married or de facto, to have a regular sexual partner who was an injecting drug user, and to have children in their care. While they were no more likely to have recently injected, SWS patients were twice as likely to have recently shared a needle. While SWS patients were more likely to have had sex in the month preceding interview, ICS patients were more likely to have had more than one partner in that period. Patients from the south‐western clinics were twice as likely to receive a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, and had poorer social functioning. The clinical implications of these differences are discussed. [Darke S, Hall W, Swift W. Geographical differences in risk‐taking among Sydney methadone maintenance patients: a comparison of inner city and outer south western methadone maintenance patients. Drug Alcohol Rev 1994;13:301–305.]