The following is a summary of “Examining predictors of cocaine withdrawal syndrome at the end of detoxification treatment in women with cocaine use disorder,” published in the November 2023 issue of Psychiatry by Heberle et al.

Detoxification is commonly recommended for Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD) treatment, yet patient responses vary significantly, often evaluated through drug-use behavior patterns. However, the potential influences of psychosocial factors, clinical variables, and individual life experiences are overlooked. This study aimed to discern predictors distinguishing severe from non-severe cocaine withdrawal symptoms at the culmination of detoxification in 284 women with CUD enrolled in a 3-week program. Examining psychosocial, clinical, and drug-use behavior traits produced a dataset with 256 potential predictors.

Utilizing six machine learning algorithms, the most effective achieved an average accuracy and ROC-AUC of around 70%. Identified were 16 key predictors encompassing the severity of psychiatric, family, and social issues, childhood maltreatment exposure, drug-use behavior indicators, and the severity of cocaine withdrawal syndrome at the detoxification program’s onset. This comprehensive evaluation provides potential insights for clinicians in tailoring interventions and improving treatment outcomes for women undergoing detoxification for CUD.

This study investigated predictors distinguishing severe versus non-severe cocaine withdrawal symptoms at detoxification completion in 284 women with CUD. Analysis of psychosocial, clinical, and drug-use behavior traits unveiled 16 key predictors, including the severity of psychiatric, family, and social issues, childhood maltreatment exposure, and drug-use behavior indicators. Understanding these predictors could optimize interventions and treatment outcomes for women undergoing CUD detoxification.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022395623005587