The Perceived Role of Withdrawal in Maintaining Opioid Addiction among Adults with Untreated Opioid Use Disorder: A Survey of Syringe Exchange Program Participants.

Withdrawal is believed to play a central role in the brain disease model of addiction. However, little research describes withdrawal-motives among untreated individuals in community settings. This cross-sectional study surveyed syringe exchange program participants ( = 139) with untreated opioid use disorder (OUD) in Columbus, Ohio from January 10th to March 25th, 2023, to assess their perceptions of the role of withdrawal in OUD maintenance, treatment delay, and OUD's refractoriness to buprenorphine.