Freier BeitragPosttraumatische belastungsstörung bei opiatabhängigen methadonsubstituierten patienten

Background: The aim of this study is to demonstrate the relevance between the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after non-recurring trauma and the use of heroin, the severity of addiction and the severity of the overall psychopathology, as well as sex specific differences. Method: 48 patients with an opiate dependency, enrolled in a methadone treatment and with at least one traumatic event, which occurred once in lifetime, were included. Based on several clinical interviews we determined the presence of a diagnosis of PTSD, the use of heroin, the severity of addiction (Addiction Severity Index; ASI) and of the overall psychopathology (Symptom Checklist; SCL-90-R). Results: 18 patients (37 %) had a diagnosis of PTSD (8 women, 10 men). Compared to Non-PTSD patients, PTSD patients had significantly lower use of heroin within the last 6 months while the severity of addiction was significantly higher. Women (with and without PTSD) showed a higher severity of addiction (ASI) particularly with regard to the items "social/family"and "drugs". The group erforwith PTSD showed a higher severity of addiction regarding the item "work/alimentation". We found no significant difference of the severity of the overall psychopathology between patients with or without a diagnosis of PTSD. Discussion: The present data are consistent with the previous research findings on PTSD and substance use disorder. The present findings suggest that the use of heroin was significantly lower in the group with PTSD after a non-recurrent trauma. It illustrates that the role of opioids in regard to the classic symptoms of PTSD is diverse and needs to be further examined.