Circadian functioning and quality of life in substance use disorder patients with and without comorbid schizophrenia

Sleep disturbances are strongly linked with mental diseases such as substance use disorder (SUD) or schizophrenia (SZ) which can have a detrimental impact on quality of life (QOL), especially when both disorders are comorbid (dual disorder). In absence of studies about both circadian characteristics and QOL in patients with SUD and comorbid SZ (SUD + SZ), we examined a sample of 155 male under treatment, 75 with SUD + SZ and 80 only with SUD. Circadian functioning was evaluated by chronotype, social jet-lag and sleep quality (using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI), while the QOL was obtained by the World Health Organization's Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL)-BREF. SUD + SZ patients were more evening type than SUD, and this chronotype was linked to polydrug use in total sample and SUD + SZ group. We observed that the comorbidity did not lead to worse sleep quality in the SUD and SUD + SZ patients. QOL was poorer in SUD + SZ patients, who showed a negative association of Physical health, Psychological health and Social relationship with suicide attempts and severity of SZ. Lastly, patients with worse QOL also reported poorer sleep quality suggesting that treatment could include circadian adjustments along with a focused approach to lifestyle improvement.

Sleep and substance use disorder treatment: A preliminary study of subjective and objective assessment of sleep during an intensive outpatient program

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Characteristics of sleep concerns and their relationship to mental health in heterogeneous substance use disorder (SUD) treatment settings are not well understood. The purpose of this preliminary study was to assess sleep using subjective and objective measures at two time points during SUD treatment and compare sleep changes to changes in mental health measures.

METHODS

Treatment-seeking participants completed an assessment battery at the beginning of treatment (Time 1, N = 30) and again upon treatment completion (Time 2, approximately 4 weeks later, N = 22). The majority of participants were White (80%), male (63%), and presenting for alcohol use disorder (60.0%), though almost half reported polysubstance abuse (43%). Comorbidity was common (53%). Sleep and mental health questionnaires with 1 week of actigraphy and sleep diaries were completed at both time points.

RESULTS

Most participants met the criteria for a sleep disorder and mean scores on questionnaires showed poor sleep quality, insomnia symptoms, and frequent nightmares, with sleep quality and insomnia improving over time but remaining clinically significant. Nightmares did not improve. Actigraphy indicated poor sleep at both time points. Improvement in insomnia was related to improvement in measures of mental health while changes in actigraphy variables were not related to these measures.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Multiple types of sleep disturbance are prevalent in this population, with nightmares persisting throughout treatment and insomnia symptoms showing a relationship with mental health symptoms.

SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE

This was the first study to longitudinally assess mental health with subjective and objective measures of sleep across multiple types of SUDs in a community SUD treatment setting.

Polysomnographic Correlates for the Risk of Relapse in Detoxified Opiate-Misuse Patients

INTRODUCTION

Substance abuse is a complex issue requiring multi-disciplinary management. Protracted abstinence syndrome leads to persistent discomfort even after detoxification lasting months, resulting in poor sleep duration and quality. Despite being a major contributor to relapse and sleep disturbances, no objective assessment procedures to monitor sleep after the detoxification have been reported. The study aims to assess sleep structure after detoxification via polysomnography and psychometrically assess sleep over the next 6 months in abstinent and relapsing patients.

METHODS

Sixty successfully detoxified males (35.8 ± 7.3 years) with a history of heroin abuse (DSM-V) (mean composite scores (ASI): 1.3 ± 0.06, 3.48 ± 0.38, 5.45 ± 0.63, 1.2 ± 0.19, 3.93 ± 0.9, and 2.61 ± 0.8 for medical status, employment/support status, alcohol/drugs status, legal status, family/social relationships, and psychiatric status, respectively) were recruited immediately following their detoxification, without giving additional psychoactive substances or medications. Polysomnography was done in the second week following detoxification to allow washout of medications, followed by a monthly sleep assessment through sleep diary and daytime sleepiness using a visual analog scale. Relapse was proved by a urine test. Polysomnographic parameters and ASI subscales for relapsing and non-relapsing participants were compared using a 2-tailed Student's t-test (p<0.05).

RESULTS

Eighteen participants relapsed by 6 months (12 by 3 months). Only the ASI legal problems score was significantly different for the two groups (p=0.001). The differences were significant for NREM stages I (p=0.001) and II (p=0.002), bilateral limb movement (p=0.009), and arousal indices (p=0.001).

CONCLUSION

Measuring polysomnographic parameters (percentage of NREM I and II, arousal index, and limb movement index) for sleep disturbance in detoxified heroin-abuse patients can be potential predictors for relapse in a 6-month follow-up.