Anxiety and depression scores in addicts before and after detoxification

Background

The presence of comorbid psychopathology in substance abusers is of considerable clinical interest. Psychiatric illness may serve as a risk factor for substance abuse, develop as a result of chronic substance abuse, or alter the course, prognosis, and outcome of substance abuse. A factor which leads to treatment failure and re-use of substances is to ignore mental disorders before and after detoxification. The aim of this study is comparison between anxiety and depression scores before and after detoxification, and whether or not should anxiolytic and antidepressant drugs be prescribed.

Materials and methods

70 opium-addicted cases referred to a detoxification centre in Esfahan were selected by easy method of sampling and evaluated for depression (with "Beck" test) and anxiety (with "Zung" test), in three times (admittance time, the first visit after detoxification, and a month later). Treatment type was "Methadone Assisted Detoxification". P values less than 0.05 were considered meaningful.

Results

The average of anxiety scores at the admittance time was 38.85; immediately after detoxification, 34.97; and a month after detoxification, 30.72. The average of depression scores in those times were 26.65, 19, and 16.38, respectively.

Discussion

The anxiety and depression average scores in admittance time and in the first visit after detoxification had meaningful differences. Therefore, anxiety and depression symptoms decrease during addiction treatment, and it is not needed to use anxiolytic and antidepressant drugs routinely over treatment process.