Psycho-social stressors and life events in patients presenting with heroin dependence

Objective: to know the number and nature of stressful life events in heroin dependent patients and to compare them with the stressors prior to the substance dependence. materials and methods: this descriptive study was conducted in the department of psychiatry & behavioural sciences,nishtar hospital,multan from september,2012 to december,2012. a total of 50 consecutive in-patients with heroin dependence. results: stressors were clearly identified in 50 patients. in all patients,we found more than one stressor. results showed that nature of stressful events prior to heroin dependence were different than those after developing it. before the development of dependence,the major stressors identified were failure in love affair (34%),disturbed relationship with family (30%),for sexual difficulty (24%) and disturbed home environment (22%). after developing dependence,major stressors were stigmatization (80%),business loss / financial difficulties (68%),major changes in sleeping habits (46%),disturbed relationship with family (42%),changes in eating habits (40%),changes in social activities (34%) & conflict with in-laws (30%). however some of the stressors were common both before and after the dependence. conclusions: we concluded that stressors and adverse life events were present in all the patients with heroin dependence. the pattern and nature of stressors prior to dependence were different from the stressors after the dependence in most of the cases.