Novel psychoactive substance use among treatment‐seeking opiate users: The role of life events and psychiatric symptoms

• Published in: Human psychopharmacology 2017-05, Vol.32 (3), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Kapitány‐Fövény, Máté, Farkas, Judit, Pataki, Patrícia Andrea, Kiss, Anna, Horváth, Janka, Urbán, Róbert, Demetrovics, Zsolt
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Addictions; Adult; Amphetamines; Analgesics, Opioid - adverse effects; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demographics; Demography; Drug abuse; Drug use; Female; Humans; Hungary; Life Change Events; life events; Male; Mental Disorders - diagnosis; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Mental Disorders - psychology; methadone; Middle Aged; Narcotics; NPS; Opioid-Related Disorders - diagnosis; Opioid-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Opioid-Related Disorders - psychology; Opioids; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - psychology; psychiatric symptoms; Psychotropic drugs; Psychotropic Drugs - adverse effects; Service life assessment; Street Drugs - adverse effects; Substance use; Surveys and Questionnaires; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0885-6222; 1099-1077
• DOI: 10.1002/hup.2602

Objective Over the past 5 years, a shift to the use of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) has been observed among opioid users. The aim of this study was to assess the potential reasons for NPS use among treatment‐seeking patients receiving opiate substitution therapy. Method A structured questionnaire was filled out by a sample of 198 opiate dependent patients of Hungary's National Institute of Psychiatry and Addiction. This questionnaire assessed demographics, treatment characteristics, lifetime substance use, potential reasons for NPS use, negative life events (Life Events Scale), and psychiatric symptoms (Brief Symptom Inventory). Results The most frequent reasons for NPS use were curiosity, replacing other drugs, and easy availability. The majority of the respondents used synthetic cathinones and chose practical reasons, not psychopharmacological preferences. A series of binary logistic regressions indicated that lifetime amphetamine use (OR = 4.64, 95% CI [2.16, 9.96]) and more severe psychiatric symptoms (OR = 1.89, 95% CI [1.18, 3.04]) may predict NPS use. Time spent in treatment was a minor protective factor (OR = 0.92, 95% CI [0.86, 0.99]). Conclusion Synthetic cathinones might still substitute amphetamine‐derivatives, although these NPS are no longer legal. There is a need for the regular screening of psychiatric symptoms and the use of family therapy among participants on opioid substitution programs.