Addiction, addiction-treatment / 19.12.2024
What Types of Addiction Can Be Treated in Utah’s Intensive Outpatient Programs?
- If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at org. To learn how to get support for mental health, drug or alcohol conditions, visit FindSupport.gov. If you are ready to locate a treatment facility or provider, you can go directly to FindTreatment.govor call 800-662-HELP (4357).
- Veterans or service members who are in crisis can call 988 and then press “1” for the Veterans Crisis Line. Or text 838255. Or chat online.
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Utah's IOPs typically involve 9-15 hours of weekly treatment, incorporating individual counseling, group therapy, and educational sessions. These programs cater to adults dealing with substance use issues who don't require 24/7 medical supervision. Many facilities also address co-occurring mental health disorders alongside addiction treatment.
These programs offer a balanced approach, allowing individuals to receive treatment while maintaining their daily routines. By integrating care for co-occurring mental health conditions, they address the complexity of addiction in a more holistic way. An intensive outpatient program in Utah typically combines individual counseling, group therapy, and educational sessions to help participants develop a deeper understanding of their challenges. This structure supports sustainable recovery by providing both the emotional and practical tools needed for long-term change
Key Takeaways
- IOPs in Utah treat various substance use and behavioral addictions
- Treatment combines counseling, group therapy, and educational components
- Programs offer flexibility to suit different recovery needs and lifestyles
Elodie Warren[/caption]
Elodie C. Warren, MPH
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Graduate
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: We know that the US has been experiencing an opioid crisis for the past two decades. And we know that among communities of color, rates of overdose deaths are continuing to increase, even though overall national rates decreased between 2017 and 2018.
To better understand how the opioid crisis has differently affected racial/ethnic groups, we looked at how heroin treatment admissions changed over time by race/ethnicity, age, and sex. We found that there were stark differences when comparing non-Hispanic Black men and women to non-Hispanic White men and women.
Importantly, our study suggests the existence of an aging cohort of Black men and women (likely including survivors of a heroin epidemic that hit urban areas more than 40 years ago) that continues to struggle with heroin addiction. This points to the need for targeted interventions in chronically underserved communities.
Dr. Desai[/caption]
Nimesh D. Desai, MD, PhD
Director, Thoracic Aortic Surgery Research Program
Associate Professor of Surgery
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Dr. Chase Brown: Opioid use in the United States is a public health emergency. We know that opioids prescribed after general surgery operations to patients who never received them within the year prior to their surgery are at increased risk for continuing to take opioids months later. However, this has not been studied in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, who often times have more severe post-operative pain.
Our goal in this study was to determine how many patients after cardiac surgery and are opioid naive are continuing to take opioids within 90-180 days after their surgery.

Dr. Gery Guy[/caption]
Gery P. Guy Jr., PhD, MPH
Senior Health Economist
Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention
CDC
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: In 2017, among the 70,237 drug overdose deaths in the United States, 47,600 (67.8%) involved prescription or illicit opioids. Distribution of the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone to reverse overdose is a key part of the public health response to the opioid overdose epidemic. The 2016 CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain recommended clinicians consider offering naloxone when overdose risk factors, such as history of overdose or opioid use disorder, higher opioid dosages, or concurrent benzodiazepine use, are present.
However, recent analyses examining pharmacy-based naloxone dispensing are lacking. To address this gap and to inform future overdose prevention and response efforts, CDC examined trends and characteristics of naloxone dispensed from retail pharmacies at the national and county level in the United States.
