The survey of pattern of abusing and causes of addiction tendency among women undergoing methadone maintenance treatment in Kashan city during 2017-2018

Background: The current prevalence rates indicate an increasing trend of substance abuse among women. This study aimed at determining the pattern of consumption and causative factors for tendency to drug abuse in woman referred to addiction treatment centers. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the study population was all women referred to addiction treatment centers of Kashan during 2017-2018. The research instrument was a demographic information questionnaire, causes of drug abuse tendency and structured clinical interviews with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders (SCID) to assess the substance abuse disorder. Results: The mean age and onset age of drug abuse were 40±10.3 and 25±6.4 years, respectively. Opium was the most common abused drug (81) and smoking was the most cited method for drug abuse. Ten percent of the patients had a history of injection. The main causes of drug tendency from the perspective of the patients were addict family (77), easy access to drugs (64), as well as depression and disappointment (56). Conclusion: The pattern of drug abuse among women undergoing the method one maintenance treatment in Kashan is traditional on the basis of the opium derivatives. The addict family was the main cause of drug abuse. Therefore, it would be necessary to pay more attention to the family of the patients as vulnerable groups in planning and to provide training on the causes of drug abuse tendency and preventive measures.