Prevalence of psychopathology in pregnant OMT women and their partners. A national prospective one year follow-up study

Background: The prevalence of psychiatric problems among substance abusers is high, and patients in opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) are no exception. It is important to assess possible psychopathology among pregnant women in OMT and their partners as psychiatric problems may reduce parental skills. Methods: A 2-year national cohort (2005-2006) of pregnant women in OMT (n=37) and their partners (n=23) were interviewed with the European Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI), Symptom Checklist 25 (SCL-25) and Millon Multiaxical Inventory III to map psychopathology. Results: The prevalence of lifetime psychiatric problems was substantial both among the women and their partners. A considerable reduction in psychiatric problems was reported during pregnancy and even less were reported after one year. Conclusion: Results indicate that psychiatric problems among the cohort is low and stable, probably affecting their parental skills in a positive way.