A Study of Psychiatric Comorbidity in Opioid Dependence.

Aim: To assess psychiatric comorbidity in patients of opioid dependence Method: All the patients of opioid dependence attending alcohol and drug deaddiction OPD and adult psychiatry OPD on specific days, were screened. Those fulfilling the selection criteria were included in the study. A detailed evaluation was done for socio-demographic variables and history of drug using semi-structured proforma especially prepared for the study. Diagnosis of opioid dependence was made according to DSM-IV-TR criteria. The patients were seen for co-morbid psychiatric illness by applying Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR I & II (SCID I & II). Results: Out of 25 patients 19 (76.0) were found to have comorbid psychiatric illness. Axis I and Axis II comorbidity was found in 76% and 20% of the samples, respectively. Patients of cluster B personality were dominating in the sample. Patients with more than one comorbidity accounted for 60% of the sample. Conclusion: Psychiatric comorbidity in opioid dependence are very high, other substance in particular. Number of comorbid diagnoses in a person may as high as four.