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Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems: 2019, 21, N3 (pages: 7 - 16)

Relationship between Syringe Sharing and Severity of Psychopathology, Antisocial Personality Disorder and Novelty Seeking in a Sample of Patients with Heroin Use Disorder

Alnıak İ., Karabulut V., Evren C., Çetin T., Umut G., Ağaçhanlı R., and Evren B.

Summary: Background: Patients with heroin use disorder (PWHUD) were reported to have different clinical features according to the route of heroin administration. People who share syringes may represent a relatively unique type of PWHUD. Aim: To evaluate the clinical characteristics of PWHUD who share syringes while investigating the predictive factors involved in syringe sharing (SS). Methods: A sample of 219 male PWHUD who were currently in opioid maintenance treatment participated in the study. All patients were evaluated using the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R) and Novelty Seeking (NS) subscale of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Antisocial personality disorder (APD) was assessed by holding a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R-Personality Disorders (SCID-II). Logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate variables that predict the presence of SS. Results: The prevalence of SS in our sample was 24.7%. The total scores assigned according to the rating scales were significantly higher in the SS (+) group than in the SS (-) group. SS (+) group members were more likely to have a criminal record, as well as a history of incarceration and probation. Multiple substance use, Hepatitis C virus seropositivity, history of suicide attempts and self-mutilation were significantly more common in the SS (+) group. Extravagance, interpersonal sensitivity and APD were found to be the main predictors of the presence of SS. Conclusions: Presence of APD, extravagant personality trait and interpersonal sensitivity appear to have a probable impact in discriminaing SS (+) patients from the others among PWHUD. Knowledge of the predictive risk factors for SS might help to prevent SS from happening, so reducing the potential burden of SS both on patients and society.