Drug‐use pattern, comorbid psychosis and mortality in people with a history of opioid addiction

Abstract

People who had achieved stable abstinence from injecting narcotics use were at lower risk of premature death than people with continued drug use. A residual observed excess mortality in people who had apparently achieved stable abstinence from drug use is consistent with the view of drug addiction as a chronic disease.

Psychosis among substance users

“…This was similar to the rates reported about a decade back [59,60]. More recently, Sorensen et al [61] found a rate of 8.5% for psychosis during a follow-up spanning over two decades in a cohort of those who were treated for opioid addiction. The results of this study are, however, difficult to interpret as it is not clear whether, in many of these, psychoses preceded the onset of opioid addiction.…”

Causes of premature mortality in Swedish drug abusers: A prospective longitudinal study 1970–2006

“…These findings are consistent with a Danish cohort study of opiate addicts still being at higher risk of premature death after many years of stable abstinence. 24 Around 60% of the cohort individuals in the present study used more than one drug at baseline, and many remained mixed abusers throughout life. One third of the opiate-related deaths in the present study were mixed intoxications with alcohol and sedatives.…”

“…19 These findings are consistent with other long-term cohort studies. 31,47 Although mortality decreases with continued abstinence it remains higher than in the general population 15,24 Although the incidence of psychiatric disorders in the cohort was around 50% and some researchers have suggested a causative impact of psychopathology on premature mortality 14,43,44 this immediate association was not confirmed in this study. This is in agreement with Sørensen, Jepsen, Haastrup et al 24 Nevertheless a substantial finding was that 32% of the suicide cases in the cohort had been diagnosed with psychosis at baseline.…”

Benefits of Retention in Methadone Maintenance and Chronic Medical Conditions as Risk Factors for Premature Death Among Older Heroin Addicts

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] For example, one study reported a high rate of premature death in heroin addicts who were not in treatment, with an average loss of 18 years of life before the age of 65. 12 Several factors, including overdose, chronic liver diseases, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and accidents, contribute to premature death in this population.…”