Citation

Maremmani AGI, Rovai L, Pani PP, Pacini M, Lamanna F, Rugani F, Schiavi E, Dell'Osso L, Maremmani I. Ann. Gen. Psychiatry 2011; 10.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group - BMC)

DOI

10.1186/1744-859X-10-17

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The idea that the impact of opioid agonist treatment is influenced by the psychopathological profile of heroin addicts has not yet been investigated, and is based on the concept of a specific therapeutic action displayed by opioid agents on psychopathological symptoms. In the present report we compared the effects of buprenorphine and methadone on the psychopathological symptoms of 213 patients (106 on buprenorphine and 107 on methadone) in a follow-up study lasting 12 months.

METHODS: Drug addiction history was collected by means of the Drug Addiction History Rating Scale (DAH-RS) and psychopathological features were collected by means of the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), using a special five-factor solution. Toxicological urinalyses were carried out for each patient during the treatment period.

RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were detected in psychopathological symptoms, including 'worthlessness-being trapped', 'somatization', and 'panic-anxiety'. Methadone proved to be more effective on patients characterized by 'sensitivity-psychoticism', whereas buprenorphine was more effective on patients displaying a 'violence-suicide' symptomatology.

CONCLUSIONS: Heroin-dependent patients with psychiatric comorbidities may benefit from opioid agonist treatment not only because it targets their addictive problem, but also, precisely due to this, because it is effective against their mental disorder too. © 2011 Maremmani et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Language: en

Keywords

adult; human; violence; suicide; female; male; survival; anxiety; psychosis; cocaine; article; major clinical study; mental disease; rating scale; clinical feature; anxiety disorder; panic; drug dependence; follow up; diamorphine; methadone; urinalysis; anamnesis; somatization; drug effect; heroin dependence; buprenorphine; Symptom Checklist 90; Drug Addiction History Rating Scale