Factors associated with depression and anxiety among patients attending community-based methadone maintenance treatment in China.

AIM: To estimate the prevalence of, and identify factors associated with, depression and anxiety among community-based methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clients in China.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

Nine MMT clinics, three each from three Chinese provinces (Yunnan, Anhui and Jiangsu) between October 2008 and February 2009.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 1301 MMT clients.

MEASUREMENTS: A questionnaire, including the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and on-site urine drug testing.

FINDINGS: The prevalence of depression (SDS score≥53) and anxiety (SAS score≥50) in our sample was 38.3% [95% confidence interval (CI)=35.7, 40.9] and 18.4% (95% CI=16.3, 20.5), respectively, with 14.2% (95% CI=12.3, 16.1) displaying symptoms of both. Sample prevalence rates for depression [mean=49.69, standard deviation (SD)=10.34] and anxiety (mean=40.98, SD=10.66) were higher than the national average for each (t(0.05/2, 1300)=19.2, P<0.001 and t(0.05/2, 1300)=8.0, P<0.001, respectively). Employing multi-level modelling techniques, gender (P=0.03) and employment status (P<0.001) were found to be associated significantly with depression in a single-level model; however, in a multi-level mixed model, only employment status (P<0.001) was associated with depression. Gender (P=0.03), education level (P=0.02), marital status (P=0.04), employment status (P<0.001), positive urine drug test results (P=0.02) and daily methadone dose (P<0.001) were found to be associated significantly with anxiety in a single-level model, while only employment status (P<0.01) and positive results for the urine drug test (P=0.04) were associated with anxiety in a multi-level mixed model.

CONCLUSIONS

A considerable proportion of methadone maintenance treatment clients in China have experienced depression and anxiety during treatment. There is a need to provide tailored mental health interventions for this high-risk population.