Sains Malaysiana 42(3)(2013): 417–421

Psychiatric Comorbidity Among Community-based, Treatment Seeking

Opioid Dependents in Klang Valley

(Komorbiditi Penyakit Psikiatri dalam Kalangan Penagih yang Berganting pada

Opioid di Lembah Kelang)

Azlin Baharudin¹*, Lotfi Anuar², Suriati Saini, Osman Che Bakar³, Rosdinom Razali¹ & Nik Ruzyanei Nik Jaafar¹

¹Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine,Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre

Jalan Yaacob Latif, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

²Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Tuanku Mizan, Jalan 4/27A, Seksyen 2, Wangsa Maju

53300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

³Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA

40450 Shah Alam Selangor, Malaysia

Received: 6 July 2012/Accepted: 23 July 2012

ABSTRACT

The main objectives in this study were to determine the percentage of psychiatric comorbidity among treatment seeking opioid dependents in Klang Valley. A cross sectional study of opioid dependence patients was conducted between December 2007 and May 2008 at ten community-based drug substitution therapy clinics in Klang Valley. A total of 204 opioid dependence patients participated in the study using the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV Axis I disorders (SCID-I) as its instruments. The percentage of psychiatric comorbidity among opioid dependents was 43.6%. Major depressive disorder had the highest prevalence at 32.6%, followed by dysthymia at 23.6% and Panic disorder at 14.6%. Psychiatric comorbidity were found to have significant differences (p<0.05) in connection with history of polysubstance abuse, previous history of court sentences (legal status) and family history of psychiatric illnesses. This study showed that the percentage of psychiatric comorbidity is high among the opioid dependents. It highlights the urgent need for the psychiatric comorbidity to be assessed and early intervention is important for this group of patients.

Keywords: Opioid dependents; psychiatry comorbidity

ABSTRAK

Objektif utama kajian ini adalah untuk melihat peratusan komorbiditi penyakit psikiatri dalam kalangan penagih yang bergantung pada opioid di Lembah Kelang. Kajian rentas ini dilakukan antara bulan Disember 2007 sehingga bulan Mei 2008 di sepuluh klinik swasta yang mempunyai program ‘terapi gentian dadah’ sekitar Lembah Kelang. Sejumlah 204 penagih opioid menyertai kajian ini menggunakan temuduga klinikal berstruktur untuk disorder paksi 1 DSM-IV (SCID-I) untuk melihat sama ada mereka mempunyai komorbiditi. Dilihat 43.6% daripada kumpulan penagih opioid ini mempunyai komorbiditi psikiatri. Penyakit Kemurungan mempunyai peratusan tertinggi pada 32.6%, diikuti oleh penyakit disthiamia pada 23.6% dan penyakit Panik pada 14.6%. Komorbiditi psikiatri didapati mempunyai perbezaan siknifikan (p<0.05) pada sejarah penyalahgunaan pelbagai jenis dadah, sejarah dijatuhi hukuman mahkamah dan sejarah penyakit psikiatri dalam kalangan ahli keluarga. Kajian ini menunjukkan peratusan komorbiditi psikiatri adalah tinggi. Ini memperlihatkan bahawa amat penting komorbiditi psikiatri dikaji dan intervensi awal penting untuk kumpulan pesakit ini.

Kata kunci: Komorbiditi psikiatri; pergantungan pada opioid

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*Corresponding author; email: jelin72@hotmail.com