[Variables related to risk taking behavior for HIV transmission among drug-dependent patients].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the factors associated with the maintenance of HIV-related risk behaviours in opiate patients dependent and establish whether psychopathology and more specifically personality disorders are part of them.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study with descriptive and analytical elements.


METHODS
The inpatient Drug-Dependence Unit of the Psychiatry Department at the Hospital Clínico Universitario in Valencia, Spain.


METHODS
Study subjects (n = 110) were consecutive first admissions to the Drug-Dependence Unit.


METHODS
The following instruments were used a structured clinical history, a Questionnaire on HIV-related risk behaviours, the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R personality disorders (SCID-II).


RESULTS
Patients who had HIV-related risk behaviours were younger (CI95% = 0.43-3.99) and showed a younger age of first heroin and cocaine use. An association was found between a maintenance of risk behaviours and a current cocaine dependence (OR = 2.39; CI95% = 1.04-5.48), a current benzodiazepine dependence (OR = 6.81; CI95% = 2.67-17.38) and being HIV positive (OR = 2.5; CI95% = 1.10-5.67). An association was also found between HIV-related risk behaviours and the number of prior drug-related hospital admissions. The maintenance of risk behaviours was associated with the presence of personality disorders (OR = 2.63; CI95% = 1.18-5.84) and particularly with the antisocial personality disorder (OR = 3.75; CI95% = 1.61-8.75). The logistic regression analysis showed that the existence of benzodiazepine dependence, cocaine dependence, antisocial personality disorder and the number of drug-related admissions classified correctly 81.08% of patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The higher severity of patients that maintained HIV-related risk behaviours and the association found with personality disorders suggests the need of designing more efficient therapeutic strategies for a subpopulation of drug misuser that showing HIV-related risk behaviours.
Cervera
G
G
Unidad de Toxicomanías, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Valencia.
Valderrama
J C
JC
Bolinches
F
F
Salazar
A
A
Martínez
J
J
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis