Abstract Contemporary medical approaches for opioid addiction often include medication-assisted therapy, utilizing methadone and buprenorphine. However, factors influencing patient preferences for ...starting buprenorphine or methadone therapy are poorly understood. This study aims to explore whether variances in personality traits and attachment styles are related to treatment preferences among individuals undergoing buprenorphine and methadone maintenance therapies. 300 participants completed the Big Five Questionnaire for personality traits and sub-dimensions and the Experiences in Close Relationship Scale for assessing attachment styles. The results indicated that patients with higher levels of Dynamism, Conscientiousness, and Perseverance personality traits were more likely to choose buprenorphine over methadone for achieving and maintaining abstinence. Although attachment styles showed a greater ability to differentiate between groups compared to personality traits, the differences were not significant. However, Conscientiousness stood out for its high discriminant validity, suggesting that scores in this personality dimension could significantly distinguish between groups, with individuals in the buprenorphine group showing higher levels of Conscientiousness compared to the methadone group. The study suggests a partial association between individuals' preference for abstinence therapy and their personality traits. These findings could be considered useful indicators when choosing maintenance therapy to help opiate-addicted patients achieve and maintain abstinence.
The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in the prevalence of somatic diseases among combat veterans and their contemporaries who were not exposed to the traumatic experience at the ...battlefield, and to determine whether socio-demographic factors, exposure to war-time trauma and/or injury might predict individual somatic diseases. The study included 1,558 subjects living in south Croatia: 501 male combat veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the corresponding control group of 825 men who were not exposed to combat experience. Veterans with PTSD, regardless of the length of time spent in war, suffered more often from cardiovascular, dermatological, musculoskeletal, pulmonary and metabolic diseases than corresponding control subjects who were not exposed to combat experience. The predictors of cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and malignant diseases in veterans were age, length of time spent in combat, having been wounded. A longer period in the combat zone was associated with arrhythmias in veterans with PTSD complicated with other psychiatric comorbidities. PTSD as a result of exposure to war trauma increases the possibility of developing somatic diseases.
El propósito de este estudio ha sido comparar la frecuencia de trastornos somáticos en veteranos de guerra y personas no expuestas a la experiencia traumática del campo de batalla, así como determinar si la exposición a factores socio-demográficos en tiempo de guerra pueden predisponer a traumas, alteraciones o trastornos somáticos. El estudio incluye 1,558 sujetos del sur de Croacia: 501 varones veteranos de guerra con síndrome de estrés postraumático (TEPT) y un grupo de control de 825 varones no expuestos a la experiencia de combate. Los veteranos con TEPT, independientemente del tiempo pasado en la guerra, desarrollan más a menudo alteraciones gastrointestinales, cardiovasculares, dermatológicas, locomotoras, pulmonares y metabólicas que los sujetos del grupo control. Los indicadores de alteraciones cardiológicas, locomotoras, entre otros, en veteranos han sido la edad, el tiempo pasado en combate y el daño allí sufrido. Un largo período en la zona de combate ha sido asociado con arritmias y otras complicaciones de tipo psiquiátrico. El TEPT, como resultado de la exposición a experiencias traumáticas del campo de batalla, incrementa la posibilidad de desarrollo de trastornos somáticos.
The aim of this study was to compare investigators' perception of three most important etiological factors for drug addiction and drug abuse with the self-perception of heroin addicts and drug ...abusers who used cannabis products and/or ecstasy. The study included 207 heroin addicts (mean age, 26.7 +/- 5.8 years) and 238 drug abusers (mean age, 19.3 +/- 1.9 years). Each study participant selected the three most important etiological factors for drug addiction or drug abuse from the list in the Pompidou questionnaire according to his or her perception. An investigator also selected the three most important etiological factors for drug addiction or abuse according to his or her perception for each study participant. The self-selected factors were compared with those selected by the investigators. Heroin addicts most often selected hedonism as the first (n = 97 46.9%) and the second (n = 87 42.0%) most important factor for starting using drugs, whereas family reasons were most often selected as the third most important factor (n = 58 28.0%). Cannabis and ecstasy abusers most frequently selected hedonism as the first (n = 149 62.6%), second (n = 128 53.8%), and third (n = 76 31.9%) most important factor for starting using drugs. According to investigators' perception, family reasons were the first most important etiologic factor in both heroin addicts (n = 93 44.9%) and drug abusers (n = 144 60.5%). Psychological reasons were significantly more often selected as the first most important factor for heroin addiction than for cannabis or ecstasy abuse by both participants and investigators (P < 0.001 for both). Also, according to investigators' perception, the lack of knowledge was significantly more frequent as the second most important factor in heroin addicts than in cannabis or ecstasy abusers (55 26.6% vs 19 8.0%, respectively; P < 0.001). Drug addicts and drug abusers considered hedonism the most important reason for starting drug use, whereas investigators considered family reasons to be the primary reason. Both factors seemed to play the crucial role in the development of both drug addiction and drug abuse.
Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS) is a modern structured interview schedule that has been in use since 1994. Main purpose of the DIGS is to record information regarding to a subject's ...functioning and psychopathology and it was specifically designed for psychiatric genetic studies. The DIGS is also suitable for making diagnosis, evaluation of comorbidity and other researches. It contents items and sections and has a semi-structured design that gives interviewers the freedom needed to extract the best in formation possible. The validity of a Croatian version of the DIGS was investigated. The original English version was initially translated into Croatian. The Croatian version was then back-translated and compared with the original. In this paper we will describe each item that DIGS contents as well as the use of this diagnostic instrument.
El objetivo de este estudio ha sido comparar la frecuencia de trastornos somáticos en veteranos de guerra y personas no expuestas a la experiencia traumática del campo de batalla, así como determinar ...si la exposición a factores socio-demográficos en tiempo de guerra pueden predisponer a traumas, alteraciones o trastornos somáticos. El estudio incluye 1.558 pacientes del sur de Croacia: 501 varones veteranos de guerra con Trastorno de Estrés Postraumático (TEPT) y un grupo de control de 825 varones no expuestos a la experiencia de combate. Los veteranos con TEPT, independientemente del tiempo pasado en la guerra, desarrollan más a menudo alteraciones gastrointestinales, cardiovasculares, dermatológicas, locomotoras, pulmonares y metabólicas que los sujetos del grupo control. Los indicadores de alteraciones cardiológicas, locomotoras, entre otros, han sido la edad, el tiempo pasado en combate y el daño allí sufrido. Un largo período en la zona de combate ha sido asociado con arritmias y otras complicaciones de tipo psiquiátrico. El TEPT, como resultado de la exposición a experiencias traumáticas del campo de batalla, incrementa la posibilidad de desarrollo de trastornos somáticos.
The aim of this study was to compare investigators’ perception of three most important etiological factors for drug addiction and drug abuse with the self-perception of heroin addicts and drug ...abusers who used cannabis products and/or ecstasy. The study included 207 heroin addicts (mean age, 26.7 ± 5.8 years) and 238 drug abusers (mean age, 19.3 ± 1.9 years). Each study participant selected the three most important etiological factors for drug addiction or drug abuse from the list in the Pompidou questionnaire according to his or her perception. An investigator also selected the three most important etiological factors for drug addiction or abuse according to his or her perception for each study participant. The self-selected factors were compared with those selected by the investigators. Heroin addicts most often selected hedonism as the first (n=97 46.9%) and the second (n=87 42.0%) most important factor for starting using drugs, whereas family reasons were most often selected as the third most important factor (n=58 28.0%). Cannabis and ecstasy abusers most frequently selected hedonism as the first (n=149 62.6%), second (n=128 53.8%), and third (n=76 31.9%) most important factor for starting using drugs. According to investigators’ perception, family reasons were the first most important etiologic factor in both heroin addicts (n=93 44.9%) and drug abusers (n=144 60.5%). Psychological reasons were significantly more often selected as the first most important factor for heroin addiction than for cannabis or ecstasy abuse by both participants and investigators (P<0.001 for both). Also, according to investigators’ perception, the lack of knowledge was significantly more frequent as the second most important factor in heroin addicts than in cannabis or ecstasy abusers (55 26.6% vs 19 8.0%, respectively; P<0.001). Drug addicts and drug abusers considered hedonism the most important reason for starting drug use, whereas investigators considered family reasons to be the primary reason. Both factors seemed to play the crucial role in the development of both drug addiction and drug abuse.
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