The comparison between opiate use disorder patients in the remission state with healthy volunteers regarding behavioral addictions

ABSTRACT

Objective

The present study aimed to compare the patients with opiate use disorder (OUD) and healthy volunteers with respect to behavioral addictions (gambling, excessive shopping, internet, and exercise).

Methods

Our study included 100 OUD patients in the remission state for at least one month who had been diagnosed according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and completed detoxification therapy and 100 healthy volunteers. Sociodemographic Data Form, South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), Compulsive Online Shopping Scale (COSS), Exercise Addiction Scale (EAS), and Internet Addiction Scale (IAS) were administered to all participants.

Results

Mean ages were 31.62 ± 6.48 and 31.67 ± 7.8 years in the OUD and healthy volunteer groups, respectively (p = NS). Male participants constituted 90% (n = 90) of both groups. Similar SOGS (p = NS), COSS (p = NS), and EAS (p = NS) scores were detected in both groups. IAS scores of healthy controls were found significantly higher than the OUD group (p < .001).

Conclusion

According to our study results, we can state that OUD patients in the remission state are similar with general population with respect to exercise, gambling, and shopping addictions whereas their risk for internet addiction is lower than the general population.

KEYWORDS:

• Opiate use disorder
• behavioral addictions
• gambling
• shopping
• exercise
• internet

Ethical approval

This study was carried out in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration. The written ethics committee approval for the study was obtained from The Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Akdeniz University Medical Faculty (date: April 20 2022, decision number: KAEK-299). Participants consented to use their data in the research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.