Relationship between somatization and psychiatric symptoms, especially anxiety, depression, alexithymia, and severity of addiction in male patients with alcohol and heroin addiction

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: There are differences among studies examining comorbid somatization in alcohol and heroin addicts. The literature is unclear whether substance use disorders are related with somatization symptoms or with a high rate of alexithymia, depression, and anxiety associated with somatization. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to compare heroin and alcohol addicts with regard to comorbidity of somatization and other psychiatric symptoms. In addition, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between somatization, addiction severity, depression, anxiety and alexithymia levels. Method: A total of 170 male outpatients, of whom 79 had been diagnosed as alcohol dependent and 91 as opiate dependent, were included in the study. A Sociodemographic Data Form, Addiction Profile Index, Symptom Checklist 90, and Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 were administered to the patients. Results: Somatization, depression, anger and hostility, interpersonal sensitivity, and psychoticism were significantly higher in heroin addicts than in alcohol addicts. In a stepwise linear regression model with somatization symptoms as the dependent variable and addiction severity, anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive, anger and hostility, phobic anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity, psychoticism, paranoia, and alexithymia symptoms as independent variables, anxiety symptoms and alexithymia were found to be positive predictors of somatization symptoms. Conclusion: It needs to be considered that in addictions to different substances, different psychiatric comorbid symptoms may occur. In addition, it is recommended that heroin- or alcohol-addicted patients with high somatic symptoms should be screened for anxiety disorders and alexithymic personality traits.