Js. Cacciola et al., The relationship of psychiatric comorbidity to treatment outcomes in methadone maintained patients, DRUG AL DEP, 61(3), 2001, pp. 271-280
The authors examined the relationship of comorbid non-substance use psychia
tric disorders to preadmission problem status and treatment outcomes in 278
methadone maintenance patients. Recent admissions were assigned DSM-III-R
Axis I and II diagnoses according to structured diagnostic interviews. The
Addiction Severity Index was administered at admission to assess past and c
urrent substance use and psychosocial problems and again 7 months later. Tr
eatment retention and month 7 drug urinalysis results were also obtained. A
cross substance use and psychosocial domains, participants showed significa
nt and comparable levels of improvement regardless of comorbidity. Comorbid
participants received more concurrent psychiatric treatment which may have
accounted for the lack of differential improvement among groups. Neverthel
ess. psychiatric comorbidity was associated with poorer psychosocial and me
dical status at admission and follow-up and participants with the combinati
on of Axis I and II comorbidity had the most severe problems. Admission and
month 7 substance use were, for the most part. not related to psychiatric
comorbidity, although there was a trend indicating more treatment attrition
for participants with personality disorders. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ire
land Ltd. All rights reserved.