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Palma-Álvarez RF, Ros-Cucurull E, Daigre C, Perea-Ortueta M, Serrano-Pérez P, Martínez-Luna N, Salas-Martínez A, Robles-Martínez M, Ramos-Quiroga JA, Roncero C, Grau-López L. Alexithymia in Patients With Substance Use Disorders and Its Relationship With Psychiatric Comorbidities and Health-Related Quality of Life. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:659063. [PMID: 33897505 PMCID: PMC8062860 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.659063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Alexithymia frequently correlates with several psychiatric disorders, including substance use disorder (SUD). However, most studies reporting the associations between alexithymia and psychiatric disorders have been performed in populations without SUD. This research, therefore, evaluates alexithymia in Spanish patients with SUD and the relationship among alexithymia, psychiatric comorbidities, psychological symptoms/traits, SUD variables, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 126 Spanish outpatients with SUD (75.4% males; mean age 43.72 ± 14.61 years), correlating their alexithymia levels (using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale 20 [TAS-20]) to their psychiatric comorbidities, psychological symptoms/traits, SUD variables, and HRQoL. Results: Alexithymia was significantly higher in patients who had cannabis use disorder. Higher alexithymia scores were also related to higher levels of depression, anxiety, impulsivity, and lower HRQoL. After multivariate analysis, trait anxiety, impulsivity, and the physical component summary of the HRQoL were found to be independently related to alexithymia. Conclusions: SUD patients with higher alexithymia levels have more frequently psychiatric comorbidities, present specific psychological features, and have worse HRQoL. Hence, it is important to evaluate these factors and offer more accurate psychotherapeutic approaches for this patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul F Palma-Álvarez
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.,Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena Ros-Cucurull
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.,Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Constanza Daigre
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.,Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Perea-Ortueta
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.,Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro Serrano-Pérez
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.,Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Anna Salas-Martínez
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Robles-Martínez
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addictions (INAD), Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain.,Hospital del Mar Institute for Biomedical Research (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep A Ramos-Quiroga
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.,Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos Roncero
- Psychiatry Service, University of Salamanca Health Care Complex, Insitute of Biomedicine, Salamanca, Spain.,Psychiatry Unit, School of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Lara Grau-López
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.,Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Spain
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Daigre C, Roncero C, Grau-López L, Martínez-Luna N, Prat G, Valero S, Tejedor R, Ramos-Quiroga JA, Casas M. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in cocaine-dependent adults: a psychiatric comorbidity analysis. Am J Addict 2013; 22:466-73. [PMID: 23952892 DOI: 10.1111/j.1521-0391.2013.12047.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2011] [Revised: 05/02/2011] [Accepted: 05/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is highly prevalent among drug abusers. We studied the psychiatric comorbidity and characteristics of cocaine use in relation to the presence of ADHD among patients with cocaine dependence. METHODS A total of 200 cocaine-dependent patients attending an Outpatient Drug Clinic participated in the study. A systematic evaluation of ADHD (CAADID-II), the severity of addiction (EuropASI) and other axes I and II psychiatric disorders was made (SCID-I and SCID-II). A descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analysis of the data was performed. RESULTS In the multivariate analysis, the identified risk factors for the development of ADHD were a history of behavioral disorder in childhood (OR: 3.04), a lifetime history of cannabis dependence in the course of life (OR: 2.68), and age at the start of treatment (OR: 1.08). The bivariate analysis showed ADHD to be associated with other factors such as male gender, age at start of cocaine use and dependence, the amount of cocaine consumed weekly, increased occupational alteration, alcohol consumption, general psychological discomfort, depressive disorder, and antisocial personality disorder. CONCLUSIONS AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE We conclude that ADHD is associated with increased psychiatric comorbidity and greater severity of addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanza Daigre
- Servei de Psiquiatria, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, CIBERSAM, Department of Psychiatry, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
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