Relationship Between Psychiatric Distress and Criminal History Among Intravenous Drug Abusers in Iran.
BACKGROUND
Sychotropic agents (alcohol, drugs, and illicit substances) have an important effect on the occurrence or exacerbation of psychological and behavioral derangements such as criminal activity and mental abnormalities.


OBJECTIVE
The objective was to assess the relationship between psychiatric distress and criminal history among abusers of intravenous drugs, including heroin, benzodiazepine, codeine, cannabis, opium, and ecstasy.


METHODS
Criminal activity history and psychiatric distress were evaluated among intravenous drug abusers in drop-in centers (DIC) (141 subjects) and an outpatient service to delivery methadone to the addicts located in Razy Hospital (Baghdad, Iraq) (120 subjects). Logistic regression analyses using the SPSS for Windows 18.0 were used for analyzing the data.


RESULTS
About 86% of the intravenous drug abusers had psychiatric distress and 48.2% had criminal activity history. DIC addicts group had a better mental well-being compared to the other group, but criminal history rate was similar in two groups. In multiple logistic regression, addiction to heroin (odds ratio [OR] = 1.9, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1 - 4.1), mental disorders (β = 0.060, P = 0.026), and low level of education was highly related with criminal activity (OR = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.03 - 0.89).


CONCLUSIONS
Higher scores in mental well-being questionnaire of DIC addicts suggest the positive effects of psychological interventions. There is a possibility of the involvement of heroin in occurrence of mental disorders and criminal activity. This finding needs further investigations by larger cohort studies.
Tabriz Health Service Management Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, IR Iran.
Leyla
L
Sahebi
Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, Road Traffic Injury Prevention Research Center, School of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, IR Iran.
Mohammad
M
Asghari Jafar Abadi
Tabriz Health Service Management Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, IR Iran.
Seyed Hosein
SH
Mousavi
Medical Philosophy and History Research Center, Tabriz University Medical of Sciences, Tabriz, IR Iran.
Majid
M
Khalili
Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, IR Iran.
Maryam
M
Seyedi
Crime; Drug Abusers; Mental Health; Psychiatric Distress; Questionnaires