Comparison of psychometric measures in psychiatric patients using heroin and other drugs.

Heroin and nonopiate users, psychotic and nonpsychotic, were compared on the Bender-Gestalt test, a mental ability scale, and an affect adjective checklist. Analyses of variance and covariance indicated heroin effects were highly significant (p < .01) on the Bender-Gestalt test. Psychosis effects lacked significance on any test. Constricted use of space, a tendency to rotate designs, and perseverations were significantly more frequent in the heroin patients. Total Bender-Gestalt scores of detoxified and nondetoxified heroin users were not significantly different. It is concluded heroin patients show marked perceptual disturbances.