Positive Emotions and Quality of Life among Malaysian Patients on Methadone Maintenance Therapy and Their Psychosocial Correlates

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to assess the positive emotions and the quality of life among patients on methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) as well as their associated factors. This is a cross-sectional survey study. Participants undergoing MMT in two major Malaysian hospitals responded to the sociodemographic and clinical information sheet, the Positive Emotion Rating Scale (PERS), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF. Most of the participants (N = 154; mean age = 43.8 ± 9.0 years) were male (97.4%) and Malays (75.3%). Slightly more than half (50.6%) scored above 30 on the Positive Emotion Rating Scale. There was a significant association between being ethnically Malay, married, and employed and positive emotions. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, having positive emotions predicted a better overall, physical, and psychological quality of life. Being non-diabetic also significantly predicted a better quality of life in the overall domain, whilst not being married and family history of mental illness significantly predicted a lower overall and psychological quality of life. Positive emotions significantly improve patients’ quality of life in the MMT program, suggesting the inclusion of positive emotions in a holistic treatment approach.

Keywords

• methadone maintenance
• positive emotions
• quality of life
• Malaysia