Aims: Drug abuse is one of the major problems threatening human health. The presence of heavy metals (e. g., lead and thallium) in illicit drugs has raised concerns. This study was designed and performed to indicate the status of thallium in the urine of OPIOID users with symptoms similar to thallotoxicosis and compare them with the control group. Materials and Methods: This case–, control study was conducted in Kashan with the participation of 200 people (including 100 people in the OPIOID user group and 100 people in the control group). Then, electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry was used to determine the concentrations of urinary thallium. Findings: In the OPIOID group, the median (interquartile range) urinary thallium concentrations was 72/29 ±,49/33 μ, g/l, whereas in the control group, it was 5/57 ±,3/015 μ, g/l. There was a significant difference in the concentrations of urinary thallium between the OPIOID group and the control group. Furthermore, the prevalence of thallotoxicosis‑, related clinical symptoms was significantly higher in the OPIOID group with high urinary thallium concentrations compared with the control group (weakness, fatigue, paresthesia, ataxia, vertigo, memory deficits, tremor, aggressiveness, tinnitus, sweating, rashes, dry skin, constipation, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea). Conclusions: The results of the present study indicated that the levels of urinary thallium in patients using illicit OPIOIDs are significantly higher, which can be due to contamination of drugs with thallium.

The purpose of current research was studying and comparing of self-efficacy, and self-regulation among OPIOID SUBSTANCE, stimulant SUBSTANCE dependents, and general persons. Research design was non-experimental (causal comparative method). This research performed on 214 persons (106 general persons, 70 OPIOID SUBSTANCE dependents, and 38 stimulant SUBSTANCEs dependents). SUBSTANCE dependents were chosen from MMT centers. The self-efficacy questionnaire (Sherer et al, 1998) and The self-regulation questionnaire (SRQ; (Brown, Miller, & Lawendowski, 1999) were administrated for collecting data The results showed that there was a significant difference among OPIOID SUBSTANCE, stimulant SUBSTANCE dependents, and general persons in self-efficacy and self-regulation. OPIOID SUBSTANCE dependents have less self-efficacy and self-regulation scores than General persons and stimulant SUBSTANCE dependents. In self-efficacy and self-regulation, there was not significant deference between stimulant SUBSTANCE dependents and general persons. Also, the results showed that there was a significant and positive relationship among self-esteem, selfefficacy, and self-regulation. So, we conclude that self-efficacy, and self-regulation has important role in preventing, coping, and SUBSTANCE abstinence.

Background &Aim: This research has been conducted to assess the prevalence rate of personality disorders in the males &females dealt with OPIOID SUBSTANCE traffic imprisoned in Kermanshah Central Prison.Materials and Methods: In this research 413 males and 45 females, imprisoned in KCP due to drug traffic were randomly chosen and assessed through Millon multiaxial questionnaire. Final diagnosis was made by psychiatrist soon after clinical interview through the signs and symptoms based on DSM-IV-TR. The data were analyzed through x2 & T tests, and the SPSS 11.5 software.Findings: The result obtained from this survey represented 85.15% of the testers to be involved in personality disorders in which the most common were demonstrative personality disorder, and antisocial disorder, 42.36% & 40.39% respectively. The least common disorder was schizophrenia personality disorder (14.63%). This study also revealed 52.62% of the prisoners involved in mix personality disorder. There was also a significant relation among career, education, marital status and the OPIOID SUBSTANCE traffic.Conclusion: The prevalence of psychiatric disorders, especially in its mixed type, is much more common in the prisoners involved in OPIOID-SUBSTANCE than the other people in society.

The objective of the present study was to examin the effectiveness of group contracting and behavioral activation therapy (GCBAT) in the treatment of OPIOID use. In this clinical trial study, 120 patient with the diagnosis of OPIOID dependence based criteria were assigned randomly to four groups in methadone maintenance treatment: (A) Cognitive- behavioral Therapy (CBT), (B) GCBAT, (C) GCBAT plus family support education (FSE) for this group family members, and (D) methadone alone. The two experimental groups (A and B) had 890 minutes weekly session of group therapy, the CBT group (A) had 12 two hours weekly session of group therapy and the methdon group (D) took methadone only. All participants completed the Mental Health Inventory (MHI) and OPIOID Treatment Index (OTI) at baseline and again 5 months after group psychothempy. Treatment data were anlaysed by using univariate analysis of variance repeated measurements and chi-squre test. Finding in the three experimental groups showed a decrease in drug use, social dysfunction, illegal behaviors, psychological distress and increase in health factors and psychological well-being. Results showed: GCBAT, GCBAT-FSE and CBT have superior from to methadone group in (MHI) and (OTI) scales. GCBAT-FSE superior from to GCBAT, CBT and methadone group in relapse prevention and remain on treatment after of relapse.

Background: Naltrexone is a competitive OPIOID receptor antagonist blocking the euphoric effects of exogenous OPIOIDs. When used concomitantly with OPIOIDs, naltrexone causes severe withdrawal symptoms. The main aim of the study is to determine the symptomatology and outcome of patients who consumed naltrexone in conjunction with an OPIOID SUBSTANCE.Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on the patients hospitalized with history of naltrexone usage coincided with OPIOID SUBSTANCEs at Razi Hospital, Rasht, Iran. The collected data were demographic information, abuse information, clinical signs and symptoms, laboratory findings, and therapeutic measures taken. Data analysis was performed by descriptive tests using SPSS software version 16.Results: The mean age of the patients was 33.7±10.2. The majority of the cases were male (95.6%) and urban (96.7%). The main cause of withdrawal symptoms in 91.1% of the patients was inappropriate naltrexone usage. The main poisoning agent in 80% of the cases was consumed naltrexone alone. The route of consumption in 90.1% of the cases was oral and in 9.9% the cases was IV injection. The major clinical features were nausea, vomiting, and agitation. The main therapeutic measures were supportive intravenous fluids (94.8%) and OPIOID administration in the form of methadone. The mean hospitalization period was 21.8±18 hours.Conclusion: Severity, clinical course, and outcome of OPIOID withdrawal by accidental or intentional naltrexone abuse varies greatly among patients and is unpredictable. Common findings upon presentation were gastrointestinal symptoms and agitation and the main therapeutic measures for these patients were support with intravenous fluids and anti-nausea drugs administration as plasil and OPIOID administration as methadone.

Objectives: The present study has done with purpose of survey the reasons of methadone maintenance therapy drop out in clients of Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS). Method: In a qualitative study, sixteen clients underwent face-to-face deep semistructured interviews which continued until informational saturation. The interviews were written and studied by inductive-deductive content analysis method. Results: According to the analyzed data, treatment system, the patients, and the family are three effective factors in dropping out and bands of these factors influence each other. The patient encounters with issues including low motivation, unstable motivation, and comorbid psychiatric disorders. On the other hand, the family is not conversant about technique’s treatment, therefore don’t cooperate adequately. Also treatment system regarding many aspects (such as protocol inaccuracy, labeling, contemptuous behavior with client, and undertaking behavior with patient for example seeing him as a wrongdoer person, not to inform him, lack of enough appointment and empathy with him) is unaffordable for client. In this system, quantity is more emphasized than quality and psychological treatment, is too colorless. Conclusion: It seems that the current system and clinic`s conduct ways have been desined for patients with high motivation and severe dependency and it is not useful enough for patients with low motivation and moderate dependency. Hence these patients are not taken care of in the treatment program and drop out.