In the course of a 5-year follow-up study concerning comorbidity in opiate addicts, 350 patients were investigated initially in various addiction centres in Hamburg. More than two thirds of the participants of the study are male, with an average age of 29 years at the time of the investigation. Most of them are receiving methadone maintenance treatment (42%), about one fourth is in residential rehabilitation and another 17% in inpatient detoxification treatment. The patients have been consuming heroin for an average of 9 years. For 55% of the opiate addicts (at least) one more psychic disorder in accordance with ICD-10 has been diagnosed (lifetime prevalence). F6 personality disorders have not been taken into consideration. The 6-month prevalence is 37%, 2-week prevalence 23%. For 43% of the opiate addicts, the predominant disorders belong to the group of neurotic, endurance, and somatoform disorders (F4), and for 32% of the patients to the group of affective disorders (F3). Schizophrenic, schizotypic and delusional disorders (F2) are less frequent (5%). Another 5% of the opiate addicts suffer from eating disorders (F5). These are partly multiple diagnoses cases; there is an average of 1.3 diagnoses per patient. Women are clearly more often affected by comorbidity than men. Most disorders first occur between the age of 18 and 21 years. Therefore, (lifetime) prevalence rates are twice to three times as high as that of the average German population, according to the present state of knowledge. This underlines the great importance of specific diagnostic and explorative methods for the treatment of addiction. Psychic disorders or disturbances that might adversely affect the course of treatment should be given more consideration.
