Substance Use and Psychiatric Symptoms in Methadone Treatment Clients
Author Information
Author(s): Heather G. Fulton, Sean P. Barrett, Cindy MacIsaac, Sherry H. Stewart
Primary Institution: Dalhousie University
Hypothesis
Current types of substance use would be related to current types of psychiatric symptoms.
Conclusion
Low-threshold MMT clients report high rates of both current substance use and psychiatric symptoms, with non-prescribed benzodiazepine use being a unique predictor of experiencing psychiatric symptoms.
Supporting Evidence
- 87% of participants reported using substances in the past 30 days.
- 77.9% of participants experienced psychiatric symptoms that may warrant diagnosis.
- Non-prescribed benzodiazepine use predicted increased psychiatric symptom severity.
Takeaway
People in methadone treatment often use drugs and have mental health issues, and using certain drugs like benzodiazepines can make their mental health worse.
Methodology
Participants were interviewed about their substance use and psychiatric symptoms using a modified Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire.
Potential Biases
Potential over-reporting or under-reporting of substance use due to self-reporting.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size and relied on self-reported data, which may affect reliability.
Participant Demographics
{"age":"39.66 years (SD = 8.79)","gender":{"male":"62.3%","female":"37.7%"},"ethnicity":{"caucasian":"80.5%","non-caucasian/multiple ethnicities":"19.5%"},"income":{"$10,000 or less":"67.5%","more than $10,000":"32.5%"}}
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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