Sleep disturbances among methadone maintained patients

Area of Science:

• Addiction Medicine
• Sleep Medicine
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Sleep disturbance is prevalent in individuals undergoing treatment for opioid use disorder.
• Understanding factors associated with poor sleep quality is crucial for improving patient outcomes in methadone maintenance therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between sleep disturbance and various demographic, mental health, and substance use factors in a cohort of methadone-maintained individuals.
• To identify key predictors of poor global sleep quality within this population.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 225 methadone-maintained individuals was assessed.
• The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to measure sleep disturbance, with scores >5 indicating poor global sleep quality.
• Multivariate analysis was employed to identify factors associated with poor sleep quality.

Main Results:

• Eighty-four percent of participants reported poor global sleep quality (PSQI score ≥6).
• Depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, greater nicotine dependence, bodily pain, and unemployment were significantly associated with poorer global sleep quality (p <.01).

Conclusions:

• Poor sleep quality is highly prevalent among methadone-maintained individuals.
• Modifiable factors such as psychological distress (depression, anxiety), nicotine dependence, pain, and unemployment are strongly linked to poor sleep.
• Targeting these identified risk factors may enhance the quality of life for individuals in drug treatment programs.