Addiction Psychiatry

Biography

 

Mitra Safa  is Professor  ,Psychiatrist ,Head of psychiatry unit , National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (NRITLD), Shahid  Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran,Iran. Member of the examining committee of sleep fellowship students National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (NRITLD), Shahid  Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran,Iran, since 2015,President of professional ethics and manner and communicational skills committee of Educational Development Unit(EDU) of National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (NRITLD), Shahid  Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran,Iran, since 2015, President of female committee in National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (NRITLD), Shahid  Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran,Iran, since 2011. Member of establishing committee of Clinical Tuberculosis and Epidemiology Research Center since 2009, Permanent member of Iranian Stop TB committee(TBC) since 2009. President of psychiatry unit of National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (NRITLD), Shahid  Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran,Iran, since 2007. Representative of the University President in the Health Care Program (PHC) since 1995 until 2007 

Abstract

Statement of the Problem: Chronic diseases like pulmonary ones include wide range of diseases and so diverse areas. They need psychiatric and psychological services, 10 times more than people who do not suffer chronic diseases.

 

Materials & Methods: In the current study, we investigated psychological status and severity and pattern of substance use in 531 chronic pulmonary patients with tuberculosis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung transplantation patients in a prospective study in eight months.

 

Findings: Our results showed that the percentage of male gender was more between tubercular, lung transplantation and COPD patients, but the number of women was more just between asthmatic patients. The average age of COPD patients was more than other patients, which was 66 years old. The number of single patients was more between lung transplantation patients, and 67% of them were single. The number of married patients was the most between asthmatic patients and 83% of them were married. Four per cent of the patients used guarded contact. Two per cent of men used manipulative contact, which was not used by women. Sixty eight per cent of the patients suffered from depression. Obsession was one of the symptoms in content of thought that existed in 25% of the patients, mostly in women. Thirteen per cent of patients had suicide ideation, which most of them were men. Hopelessness thoughts were more common between men. Eighty two per cent were irritable. Thirteen per cent had attempted suicide. Thirteen per cent had visual hallucinations and 12.5% had auditory hallucinations which were more common between men. In the field of physiology, 59% of women and 60% of men suffered insomnia. Hundred per cent of transplantation and tubercular patients had used cigarettes and 68% of them smoked daily at the time of the research. Forty per cent of COPD patients smoked more than 30 cigarettes per day. Fifty one per cent of COPD patients smoked cigarettes until five minutes after waking up. Eighty three per cent of asthmatic patients had attempted to quit smoking.

 

Conclusion: All in all, results of the current study showed that a large number of patients use cigarettes and opium and suffer psychiatric disorders, despite their advanced pulmonary disease. This issue results in reduced treatment compliance and also increased number of hospitalizations. Undoubtedly, careful planning should be done for simultaneous treatment of pulmonary, psychiatric and substance induced diseases of these patients. The holistic treatment requires considering the patient as a human, not just as a patient lung and understanding the point that the optimal treatment would not be reached, unless we simultaneously treat physical and psychological problems of the patients.