The comparison of the psychological profile of patients on methadone maintenance treatment and opiate dependent persons in bojnurd

Dependency on opiate drugs is one of the major health problems in Iran and most patients with substance dependency disorder are also co morbid with mental disorders. The present study compared the psychological profiles of patients on methadone maintenance treatment and substance dependent persons. In this descriptive-analytic study، 142 substance dependents male patients and 146 male under methadone maintenance treatment who referred to MMT clinics in Bojnurd were compared. Data were collected by using SCL-90 – R. All data were analyzed by SPSS16 software and presented with chi-square and T tests in 95% confidence level. Variables affect the two groups (age، education، marital status، time and kind of drugs) were similar. Score of Overall psychological profile of drug-dependent group (2/1 ± 0/56) and the methadone group (1/58±0/62) were significantly different (p<0/0001). Also all subgroups scales in SCL90 were significantly different (p<0/0001) and were in favor of methadone group. patients in methadone maintenance program had lower psychological problems than substance users and methadone maintenance treatment could improve both physical and psychological profiles of these patients.