Self-Reported Substance Misuse in Greek Male Prisoners

Vol. 10, No. 2, 2004

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Research Report

Self-Reported Substance Misuse in Greek Male Prisoners
Maria Fotiadou^a, Miltos Livaditis^b, Ioanna Manou^b, Eleni Kaniotou^b, Maria Samakouri^b, Nicolaos Tzavaras^b, Kiriakos Xenitidis^a

^aSouth London & Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK and
^bDepartment of Psychiatry, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece

Address of Corresponding Author

Eur Addict Res 2004;10:56-60 (DOI: 10.1159/000076114)

Key Words

Substance misuse
Prison
MINI
AUDIT
SDS

Abstract

The aim of this survey was to determine levels and severity of self-reported alcohol and drug misuse and associated physical and mental health problems in Greek male prisoners. The sample consisted of 80 randomly selected convicted and remanded male prisoners in a prison in northern Greece. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was used to assess psychiatric disorders including substance abuse and dependence. All prisoners who participated completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Those who reported daily use of opiates and stimulants completed the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS). Information was obtained from medical notes about the prisoners' hepatitis B and HIV status. The MINI identified 27.5% of the prisoners as dependent on opiates, 26.3% on alcohol and 73.8% as cannabis users, while 13.8% were misusing both alcohol and illicit drugs. Severity of dependence was rated, using SDS, as serious for all opiate and stimulant users. In terms of physical health examination of medical records indicated that no prisoner was HIV-positive but 26.5% were hepatitis-B-positive. Of those who had a previous history of substance misuse, 31.2% fulfilled the criteria for depression and 37.5% for antisocial personality disorder. Similarly, 15% of those misusing substances had a previous history of deliberate self-harm and 16% were assessed to have moderate to high suicide risk.

Author Contacts

Dr. Maria Fotiadou
Consultant Psychiatrist, South London & Maudsley NHS Trust
Lambeth Hospital, Forensic Team
108 Landor Rd., London SW9 9T (UK)
Tel. +44 207 4116421, Fax +44 207 4116133, E-Mail MariaFotiadou@slam.nhs.uk

Article Information

Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 3, Number of References : 28

Medline Abstract (ID 15004448)

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