Factors Affecting Drug Relapse in Persons with Mixed Type Drug Addiction: A Systematic review

Abstract

This systematic review aimed to identify, analyze, and synthesize the factors affecting drug relapse in persons with mixed type drug addiction using a combination of methamphetamine and other drugs through all available literature from 2014 to 2023. Research critical appraisal and data extraction were conducted by a data extraction form produced by The Joanna Briggs Institute. According to the search results, 256 papers from 8 databases examined factors affecting drug relapse among drug addicted patients with mixed type drug addiction. A total of 245 studies were eliminated due to their incompatibility with the inclusion criteria. Merely eleven studies satisfied all the inclusion criteria. Eight studies were conducted in Thailand and three studies were conducted overseas. There were five relationship studies, two exploration studies, one mixed method study, one cohort study, and two qualitative research studies. Research findings and knowledge synthesis of the factors affecting drug relapse in persons with mixed type drug addiction were descriptive in characterizing the factors and their relationship to drug relapse. The findings indicated that among patients with mixed-type drug addiction, factors influencing drug relapse included age, educational attainment, signs of drug craving, psychological factors such as friends, family, and occupation of drug addicts, and environmental factors such as neighborhood environment and community influence. The findings can be used to conduct research and create guidelines for preventing drug relapse through increased collaboration between the multidisciplinary team, family, and community.