European addiction research
-
Comparative Study
Interrater reliability of the structured interview for DSM-IV personality in an opioid-dependent patient sample.
We examined the interrater reliability of the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality (SIDP-IV) in an opioid-dependent patient sample at the criterion as well as at the diagnostic level for both categorical and dimensional data. At the criterion level (Cohen's kappa ranging from 0.76 to 0.93 and intraclass correlation coefficient ranging from 0.67 to 0.97) as well as at the diagnostic level (Cohen's kappa ranging from 0.66 to 1.00 and intraclass correlation coefficient ranging from 0.88 to 0.99), the reliability was excellent. The results suggest the SIDP-IV to be an adequate instrument for the assessment of personality disorders in opioid-dependent patients.
-
Comparative Study
Dosage regimes in the prescription of heroin and other narcotics to chronic opioid addicts in Switzerland--Swiss national cohort study.
Within the guidelines of the research programme on medical prescription of narcotics for opioid addicts (PROVE), heroin, morphine, and methadone were prescribed to heavily opioid addicted individuals in Switzerland since 1994. This contribution analyses the course of dose levels during the treatment period. ⋯ The significance of heroin dosages in heroin-assisted therapy for treatment outcome should be further explored, especially in the light of the markedly higher dosages in Switzerland compared to the UK. During the treatment period, dosages did not increase but generally decreased, indicating no further increase in tolerance.