Mental State Characteristics Patients Suffering From Psychoactive Substance Addiction During Remission

Abstract

This dissertation is dedicated to studying the psychological characteristics of patients suffering from psychoactive substance addiction during the remission phase. The purpose of the research is to assess the levels of depression, anxiety, and manic symptoms in individuals in remission and determine the relationship between these symptoms and overall mental health. The findings of this study will contribute to personalizing psychological support and optimizing rehabilitation programs for individuals in remission. The research was conducted at the Republican Narcological Center, utilizing standardized psychodiagnostics tools. This study was conducted from February to April 2025 in the Republic Narcological Center of Azerbaijan. 100 male participants (aged between 16-60 years) with a DSM-V and ICD-11 defined addiction of any kind. Once written informed consent was obtained, all participants were enrolled in the study. Participants were not allowed to participate in the study if they were undergoing treatment for another serious mental illness, had a history of neurological disorders or severe mental illnesses other than addiction, or were unable to give informed consent because of cognitive impairments. According to the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) results, a significant portion of participants in remission exhibited mild to moderate depressive symptoms. A smaller subset showed severe symptoms, indicating a clinically meaningful presence of depression even after substance use cessation. The Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) indicated that moderate levels of anxiety were prevalent among the sample. The analysis revealed a statistically significant correlation between anxiety levels and the duration of remission, with higher anxiety reported among individuals in the early stages of recovery (p < 0.05). Findings from the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) showed that most participants scored within the normal range.