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Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems: 2021, 23, N2 (pages: 59 - 63)

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder among Patients Enrolled in Methadone Maintenance Therapy

Kheradmand A., Khalatabadi P., and Seif P.

Summary: Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is defined as a condition in which certain thoughts, urges and images are experienced persistently and recurrently. Compulsivity is not only the main characteristic of OCD; it is also the main cause of repetitive acts that are performed in addiction. That is exactly why it has been suggested that OCD may fall within the concept of drug or behavioural addiction. Patients enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) had previously been opium addicts, so the finding of a significant presence of obsessive-compulsive disorder in these patients may yield new insights and reveal shared features. In this study we are going to identify the relationship between OCD and patients currently in MMT. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed involving 151 opium-dependent patients who were attending the MMT programme carried out in 2018-2019 in Tehran, Iran. The sampling was done by the sequential technique. All the participants were assessed for OCD by applying the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YOBCS) questionnaire. The participants were assessed for their age group and marital status. Results: Among the participants 95.4% were men, 4.6% women. The mean age was 38.5. The prevalence of OCD was 81 (53.6%) in this population. There was a significant link between obsession and gender, which turned out to be higher in women. There was no significant relationship between age and obsession. Conclusions: Our findings show the notable prevalence of OCD among MMT patients. This can demonstrate the importance of the evaluation of an underlying OCD presence in MMT patients.