SLEEP PROBLEMS AMONG PATIENTS ON METHADONE MAINTENANCE TREATMENT

Abstract

Insomnia is the most prevalent sleep disorder in the general population, and is commonly encountered in medical practices. Subjective sleep complaints occur in 75-84% of methadone-maintained patients, and more than 50% of methadone-maintained patients reported use of medications to improve their sleep cycle. Studies of insomnia support a female predominance. The Aim of this study was to evaluate insomnia and gender differences in insomnia among methadone-maintained patients in the Department for prevention and treatment of drug abuse and dependence, Psychiatric Hospital Skopje. This was a cross-sectional study. Two groups of methadone-maintained patients were included: 73 males and 14 females. Participants were evaluated with Bergen Insomnia Scale (BIS), and Insomnia Severity Index. The evaluation of subjects with BIS showed that 87.3% of subjects reported some sleep problems. There were significant differences between the groups related to item 3 on BIS with higher mean score for females. The total score for the Insomnia Severity Index scale showed that a larger number of females than males had moderate and severe insomnia. More females than males reported use of medications (90.5% used benzodiazepine), to help them with their sleep problems. Last month 36.8% of subjects used some substances and in 75% of cases it was alcohol, cannabis or both. This study provided evidence that sleep disturbance and use of alcohol, cannabis, and benzodiazepines was highly prevalent among methadone-maintained patients. Female patients reported a significantly worse sleep cycle than males. Use/abuse of benzodiazepines in methadone-maintained patients does not resolve the problem of insomnia.