POLYDRUG DEPENDENCE AND PSYCHIATRIC COMORBIDITY AMONG HEROIN INJECTORS

The prevalence of diagnoses of substance dependence, anxiety disorders and depressive disorders were estimated in a sample of 222 heroin inj ectors, using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Subjec ts had a median of three lifetime substance diagnoses and two current diagnoses. A total of 60% met the criteria for a lifetime anxiety diso rder, and 51% had a current anxiety disorder. A depressive disorder wa s diagnosed in 41% of subjects, with 30% having a current diagnosis. T here were significant positive correlations between the number of life time drug dependence diagnoses and the number of lifetime anxiety and affective disorders (r = 0.41), and the number of current drug depende nce diagnoses and the number of current comorbid diagnoses (r = 0.32). After controlling for other variables, the only significant independe nt predictor of the number of lifetime and current dependence diagnose s was the number of comorbid diagnoses. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Irel and Ltd.