Personality Disorders in Patients on Heroin Substitution Therapy

Abstract

Introduction: The prevalence of heroin use in Morocco was 0.02%. These figures were higher in the northern region of Morocco. The personality disorder represented a difficulty in the management of the heroin addicted patient. The aim of this study was to show that personality disorders were often comorbid with heroin addiction and to specify the predominant pathological personalities in the Moroccan population. Material and methods:A descriptive cross-sectional study in a population of 171 subjects.Collection of sociodemographic and clinical data by form.Scale:Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire (PDQ - 4+)Statistical analysis: Excel 2016, SPSS 2021: Student test, ANOVA and CHI-2 Results:Sample of 171 patients with 97.7% of male patients and average age of 43,59.Half of the population (48.5%) had only primary education80.7% never received psychiatric care.The average number of incarcerations in our population was 3,96The predominant personality disorders were borderline and antisocial personality disorder respectively.Statistically significant relationship between borderline personality disorder and psychiatric history and the number of hospitalizations in psychiatric units.Statistically significant relationship between the number of incarcerations and antisocial personality disorder. Conclusion: Heroin addicts in Morocco suffered from social instability, strong cannabis dependence, delinquency and frequent judicial recidivism. The most frequent personality disorders were borderline and antisocial. However, the causal link between the personality disorder and the addiction remained to be defined.