Prognostic significance of psychopathology in the abstinence from opiate addiction.

The aim of the present study was to find out the influence of psychopathology on abstinence from opiate addiction. A group of 54 opiate addicts with psychopathology was compared with another group of 55 opiate addicts without psychopathology. Both the groups were detoxified and followed up for a period of 12 months.Common psychopathology in opiate addicts consisted of psychopathic personality disorder, manic depressive psychosis, schizophrenia and psychosomatic and neurotic disorders. Abstinence rate was 18.8% in opiate addicts with psychopathology in contrast to 60.8% in addicts without psychopathology. The implications of the findings have been discussed.