Addiction Time and Intellectual Impairment in Heroin Users

Abstract

Rorschach test scores for male heroin users and nonusers ( ns = 15 each) were compared, to ascertain whether use of heroin influences intellectual impairment (as measured by such indicators of intellectual functioning as F+% and W+% responses). While the results show intellectual impairment to be greater in heroin users than in nonusers, the parametric and nonparametric indicators do not consistently show more marked impairment in long-term (4 to 5 yr. of addiction) than in short-term users (1 to 2 yr.). While intellectual functioning clearly seems influenced by heroin use, further research is required to ascertain the effect of the length of use either by comparing test and retest scores over a substantial interval or by matching samples including subjects with even longer careers of addiction.