Since 1991 the clinical activity of the Specialised Treatment
Centers for Drug Addicts (CAT) of the Prevention and Treatment of
Drug Addiction Service SPTT is evaluated every year in November
in two consecutive days of consultations by means of a
questionnaire per consultation addressed to the therapeutists.
The SPTT coordinates the activity of all the centres and promote
the inquiry. The objective was to simultaneously evaluate the
state of the population under treatment in what concerns the
evolution of the drug addiction problem and social recovery and,
in the other hand, the therapeutic methods used, their clinical
costs and efficacy. This methodology allowed to draw an
acceptably accurate portrait of the Portuguese drug addiction
public health program, and give some demographic data concerning
the population under treatment at the governmental services.
Correspondence between the answers and the consultations by patient
| Year | 1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
| Number of answers received | 520* | 536 | 711 | 795 | 980 |
| Ratio of the consultations given | (…) | < 95% | 98% | (…) | 100% |
| Estimate of consults for the sample | 9 984 | 9 808 | 14 220 | 14 707 | 17 150 |
| Average number of consults by patient: | 19.2 | 18.3 | 20.0 | 18.5* | 17.5 |
* estimate
Although some data relating the years prior to 1993 is included in here, most of the data provided in this pages reports to 1993 and 1995, and no data is given about 1994 and 1996. This missing data will be added as soon as possible.
Most of the patients are males (83%), workers or students
(61%), and living with their parents (83%). The average age of
the population in treatment at the cats increase from 26.6 years
to 27.4 years, there a significant increase (more 80%) of the
patients in the range 35 - 39 years old (56 in 1993 to 101 in
1995), and the biggest number of patients is between 20 - 24
years old (33% in 1995, 31% in 1993).
The heroin addicts is still the main problem in 96% of the cases of consultation, for that reason this study somewhat restrained to this patients particularities. The administration methods for the heroin users have a similar level among this population (49% smoked, 51 intravenous).
In the 1995 most of the drug users in treatment at the
governmental services have done tests to HIV (82%) and 12% of
them give positive (10% in 1993). Approximately half of the
sample (49%) have share needles or syringes some time and 12%
have done it during the last month.
Regarding the clinical results of the total sample (980), 69%
were abstinents; and 36% of them were abstinent for more than 6
months, 52% for more than 3 months, 78% for more than 1 month.
About 10% didn't answer to this question (3% last year). The main
therapeutic approach was Psychotherapy in 53% of the cases, in
20% it is used as an accessory therapeutic and Pharmacotherapy
was used in 57%.
| Sources: | Nuno Felix da Costa, Dois dias de Consulta de toxicodependências em Portugal, Resultados de 1993 - Centro das Taipas, Colectânea de Textos, VI Volume, Lisboa 1994 - SPTT |
| Nuno Felix da Costa, José Correia e Filipa Ferraz Oliveira, Tratamento da toxicodependência, Estudo Sagital 1995 - Revista Toxicodependências, Ano 2, N.º 3, Nov. 1996 - SPTT |