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Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems: 2010, 12, 4 (pages: 5 - 16)

Psychiatric comorbidity in substitution treatment of opioid-dependent patients in primary care: Prevalence and impact on clinical features

Lieb M., Wittchen H. U., Palm U., Apelt S. M., Siegert J., Soyka M.

Summary: Although elevated rates of psychiatric comorbidity in drug-dependent patients in methadone maintenance treatment are known, differences in comorbidity, maintenance medications, provider settings and somatic morbidities often remain unclear. Here, the prevalence and impact of comorbidity is described in a large, nationally representative sample of substitution patients with a cross-sectional naturalistic study in German buprenorphine or methadone substitution patients. Over two thirds of both the males and females were diagnosed by their physician as having a psychiatric diagnosis other than substance dependence. Depressive and anxiety disorders were the most common diagnoses. Men recorded higher rates for schizophrenic disorders, sleep disorders and antisocial personality disorder, while a higher percentage of women had a borderline personality disorder.