Psychopathology of addiction: May a SCL-90-based five dimensions structure be applied irrespectively of the involved drug?
BACKGROUND
We previously found a five cluster of psychological symptoms in heroin use disorder (HUD) patients: 'worthlessness-being trapped', 'somatic-symptoms', 'sensitivity-psychoticism', 'panic-anxiety', and 'violence-suicide'. We demonstrated that this aggregation is independent of the chosen treatment, of intoxication status and of the presence of psychiatric problems.


METHODS
2314 Subjects, with alcohol, heroin or cocaine dependence were assigned to one of the five clusters. Differences between patients dependent on alcohol, heroin and cocaine in the frequency of the five clusters and in their severity were analysed. The association between the secondary abuse of alcohol and cocaine and the five clusters was also considered in the subsample of HUD patients.


RESULTS
We confirmed a positive association of the 'somatic symptoms' dimension with the condition of heroin versus cocaine dependence and of the 'sensitivity-psychoticism' dimension with the condition of alcohol versus heroin dependence. 'Somatic symptoms' and 'panic anxiety' successfully discriminated between patients as being alcohol, heroin or cocaine dependents. Looking at the subsample of heroin dependents, no significant differences were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The available evidence coming from our results, taken as a whole, seems to support the extension of the psychopathological structure previously observed in opioid addicts to the population of alcohol and cocaine dependents.
Social and Health Services, Cagliari Public Health Trust (ASL Cagliari), Cagliari, Italy.
Pier Paolo
PP
Pani
Vincent P. Dole Dual Diagnosis Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Santa Chiara University Hospital, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 67, 56100 Pisa, Italy ; Association for the Application of Neuroscientific Knowledge to Social Aims (AU-CNS), Pietrasanta, Lucca Italy.
Angelo G I
AG
Maremmani
Department of Psychiatry, Cagliari Public Health Trust (ASL Cagliari), Cagliari, Italy.
Emanuela
E
Trogu
Piedmont Centre for Drug Addiction Epidemiology, ASLTO3, Grugliasco, Province of Turin Italy ; Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, San Luigi Gonzaga University, Turin, Regione Gonzole 10, 10043 Orbassano, Province of Turin Italy.
Federica
F
Vigna-Taglianti
Piedmont Centre for Drug Addiction Epidemiology, ASLTO3, Grugliasco, Province of Turin Italy.
Federica
F
Mathis
Piedmont Centre for Drug Addiction Epidemiology, ASLTO3, Grugliasco, Province of Turin Italy.
Roberto
R
Diecidue
Department of Epidemiology, Latium Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy.
Ursula
U
Kirchmayer
Department of Epidemiology, Latium Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy.
Laura
L
Amato
National Coordination Hospitality Communities (CNCA), Rome, Italy.
Joli
J
Ghibaudi
National Coordination Hospitality Communities (CNCA), Rome, Italy.
Antonella
A
Camposeragna
Regional Epidemiological Observatory, Emilia Romagna Regional Health Service, Bologna, Italy.
Alessio
A
Saponaro
Department of Epidemiology, Latium Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy.
Marina
M
Davoli
Department of Translational Medicine, Avogadro University, Novara, Italy.
Fabrizio
F
Faggiano
Vincent P. Dole Dual Diagnosis Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Santa Chiara University Hospital, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 67, 56100 Pisa, Italy ; Association for the Application of Neuroscientific Knowledge to Social Aims (AU-CNS), Pietrasanta, Lucca Italy ; G. De Lisio Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Pisa, Italy.
Icro
I
Maremmani
Addiction; Alcohol; Cocaine; Heroin; Psychopathology; SCL-90