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Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems: 2012, 14, 2 (pages: 5 - 18)

Ethnicity and drug addiction. A comparison between Italian and Slovenian heroin addicts

Lovrecic B., Lovrecic M., Rovai L., Rugani F., Bacciardi S., Dell'Osso L., Maremmani A. G. I., Maremmani I.

Summary: We aimed to study the impact of ethnicity on the clinical addiction history of heroin addicts belonging to two closely interrelated racial groups (213 Italian and 591 Slovenian) characterized by different cultural, historical and political features. The results of this study show that ethnicity tends to influence the clinical addiction history of Italian and Slovenian heroin addicts. Italians are, more frequently, stable users or else are involved in the revolving door stage, or are diagnosed more frequently as ‘dual diagnosis'. Slovenians are, more frequently, bipolar and polyabuser patients with a daily use of heroin, showing only minor social adjustment. These differences appear to be largely mediated by the various organizations providing medical services for addiction treatment in Italy and in Slovenia.