The Open Addiction Journal

2008, 1 : 7-9
Published online 2008 August 26. DOI: 10.2174/1874941000801010007
Publisher ID: TOADDJ-1-7

Demoralization in Opioid Dependent Patients: A Comparative Study with Cancer Patients and Community Subjects

Cor A.J. De Jong , David W. Kissane , Ronit J. Geessink and Dieke van der Velden
Nijmegen Institute for Scientist- Practitioners in Addiction, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

ABSTRACT

Aim:

To study existential distress or demoralization expressed as meaninglessness and helplessness in opioid dependent patients.

Method:

Comparison of existential distress between opioid dependent patients (n=131), patients with advanced cancer (n=100) and a community based sample without severe psychiatric or somatic disorders (n=190) as measured with the Demoralization Scale.

Results:

Community controls without somatic or psychiatric disorders have significantly lower scores on all Demoralization Subscales. Opioid dependent patients are strikingly more demoralized than patients with cancer.

Conclusion:

Opioid dependent patients suffer from severe existential distress (meaninglessness, helplessness) which can explain the high prevalence of suicide in this group.

Keywords:

Opioid dependence, addiction, advanced cancer.