Quality of life and health of opioid-dependent subjects in India

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The quality of life (QoL) of substance abusers is known to be severely impaired. This study was carried out to assess the impact of opioid dependence on the QoL of subjects and compared it with the normal subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Based on specified inclusion criteria a total of 47 subjects were recruited from a tertiary care center from India. The WHOQoL-BREF scale domain scores obtained at baseline were compared to that of normal subjects. An assessment of dysfunction and reasons for continuing and other parameters were assessed. RESULTS: WHOQoL-BREF domains (Physical, Psychological, Social relationships and Environment) showed significantly lower scores and the difference was statistically significant. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that QoL is an important parameter in assessment of substance abusers and can be used for long-term prognosis of these individuals.