Alcohol Abuse, Other Drug Abuse, and Mental Disorders in Medical Practice

JAMA ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 255 (15) ◽  
pp. 2054 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas B. Kamerow
Keyword(s):  
Drug Abuse ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Alcohol Abuse ◽  
Medical Practice

Alcoholism among homeless men in Munich, Germany

1997 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 64-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
MM Fichter ◽  
N Quadflieg ◽  
A Greifenhagen ◽  
M Koniarczyk ◽  
J Wölz
Keyword(s):  
Drug Abuse ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Alcohol Abuse ◽  
Diagnostic Interview ◽  
Lifetime Prevalence ◽  
Case Identification ◽  
Homeless Men ◽  
Axis I ◽  
Self Help Groups

SummaryProbably in association with changes in the economic structure and high unemployment rates in western industrialized countries, homelessness is becoming more apparent publicly and receiving increased media attention. More studies on the issue of mental illness and homelessness have been performed in recent years in North America while hardly any representative and reliable data exists concerning Germany and some other European countries. The aim of our study was 1) to assess alcohol abuse and dependency as well as other mental disorders in a representative sample of homeless men in Munich using reliable methods of case identification (Diagnostic Interview Schedule [DIS and DIS/DSM-III diagnoses); 2) to compare homeless alcoholics with homeless non-alcoholics in our sample on relevant variables and issues and 3) to compare our data from the sample of homeless men in Munich with data obtained by others using the same case identification procedure (DIS/DSM-III diagnoses). According to our results, the lifetime prevalence of any DIS/DSM-III Axis I diagnoses was 94.5% and the lifetime prevalence of substance use disorder was 91.8%. The single most prevalent diagnosis among homeless males in Munich was alcohol dependency (lifetime 82.9%), while alcohol abuse (lifetime 8.2%) and drug abuse/dependency were considerably lower (lifetime 17.8%). Data show that alcoholism and its consequences were more severe in the Munich as compared to the Los Angeles homeless sample. Homeless alcoholics showed a high comorbidity with other mental disorders (lifetime) such as affective disorders (44.4%), anxiety disorders (22.6%), drug abuse/dependence (18.8%) and schizophrenia (12.0%); 64% of those with alcoholism at some time during their life had at least one other lifetime mental disorder. Alcohol-related patterns of living and symptoms as well as social or role functioning are described for homeless alcoholics in Munich and compared with data from other relevant studies. Considering the extremely high prevalence of alcohol dependence frequently in combination with other mental disorders, the use of alcohol rehabilitation and other services as well as self-help groups was minimum among Munich homeless alcoholics. New concepts to deal with these problems are needed and if they exist, they need to be implemented.

Drug-abusing offenders with co-morbid mental disorders:gender differences in problem severity, treatment participation, and recidivism

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 33-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Du ◽  
M. Zhao ◽  
Y.-I. Hser
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Drug Abuse ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Criminal History ◽  
Addiction Severity Index ◽  
Young Age ◽  
Cocaine Use ◽  
Treatment Participation ◽  
Problem Severity

IntroductionIndividuals with co-occurring disorders have higher levels of psychological distress and poorer psychosocial functioning, as compared with individuals with substance dependence only. Studies identified substance abuse as a risk factor, which increases the likelihood that an individual with mental disorders may become violent.ObjectivesTo examine the gender differences in drug-related problems and predictors of recidivism among a sample of 1,444 offenders with co-morbid drug abuse and mental disorders participating in California's Proposition 36.MethodsCharacteristics and problem severity in multiple key life areas were assessed at intake using Addiction Severity Index, and drug treatment participation, mental health diagnoses and arrests were based on official records.ResultsWomen demonstrated greater problem severity than men in family relationships, health, psychological health, and sexual and physical abuse history. Men on the other hand had greater criminal history, high rates of attention disorder, and psychotic disorder. Logistic regression analyses showing that for the combined sample, male, young age, cocaine use (relative to methamphetamine), drug abuse severity, methadone treatment, arrest history and fewer prior treatment history were associated with higher recidivism at 12-month follow-up; lower education, cocaine use, and arrest history were related to women's recidivism, while young age, outpatient treatment, and arrest history were predictors of men's recidivism.ConclusionsAlthough the specific type of mental disorder did not seem to be predictive of recidivism, the high rates of mental health disorder and arrest of this population is problematic. Intervention strategies taking into consideration gender-specific problems and needs can improve outcomes for both.

scholarly journals Co -occurring Mental Disorders among In-patients in a Substance use Disorder Treatment Center in Plateau State, Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 223-229
Author(s):  
D M Makput
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Drug Abuse ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Substance Use Disorders ◽  
Substance Use Disorder ◽  
Addiction Treatment ◽  
Treatment Center ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Functional Abnormality ◽  
Plateau State

Patients with psychoactive substance use disorders (SUD) often have co- occurring medical and mental disorders. This occurs as a result of a number of factors, for instance, drug abuse may facilitate the full expression of a latent psychiatric disorder; mental disorder may lead to SUD (drugs used for self- medication; or both SUD and mental disorders are caused by the same underlying brain deficit such as genetic vulnerability, neurotransmitter abnormality, structural or functional abnormality, and so on. After obtaining ethical clearance, the case notes of all patients who were admitted in the Centre for Addiction Treatment and Research, (CATR) Vom, Plateau state throughout the first quarter of year 2019 were traced. A systematic random sample of every third consecutive patient was selected beginning with the first patient admitted and relevant data were collected and analyzed. A total of fourty- eight (48) in-patients were analyzed. Ninety -four percent (94%) of the patients were males, the mean age of 23.6 + 5 years with 46% being below 25 years of age. Fourty-six percent (46%) had cannabis as their primary drug followed by alcohol (32%) and opioids (28%). Only 1 % had a history of injecting drug use. Twenty-nine percent (29%) of the SUD patients had co-occurring depression, nine percent (8%) had anxiety disorder, and five percent (4%) had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in addition to their substance use disorder. In line with sustainable development goals (SDG) goal 3.5 which seeks to “strengthen prevention and treatment of substance abuse including narcotics drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol”; identifying co-occurring mental disorders among patients with substance use disorders is one way of moving closer towards achieving this SDG.

Differentiating Successful and Unsuccessful Insanity Plea Defendants in Colorado

1987 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A. Pasewark ◽  
Richard Jeffrey ◽  
Stephen Bieber
Keyword(s):  
Drug Abuse ◽  
Alcohol Abuse ◽  
Psychiatric Treatment ◽  
Insanity Plea ◽  
History Of

Of 133 Colorado male defendants employing the insanity plea from 1980 to 1983, 36 were adjudicated insane and 97 found guilty. Considering all defendants, they were found to be primarily single, Caucasian, somewhat older and better educated than the usual defendant group, unemployed at the time of the insane offense, and with a history characterized by chronic unemployment, prior psychiatric treatment, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and previous arrests. Acquittees differed significantly from convicted defendants in being older and better educated. They were more likely to have been diagnosed as schizophrenic and less likely to have had a history of drug abuse. No difference was found between the groups with respect to all other variables examined, including severity of instant offense, ethnicity, and number of prior arrests.

Mental disorders and drug abuse in persons living with HIV/AIDS

AIDS Care ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (sup1) ◽  
pp. 22-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. D. Klinkenberg ◽  
S. Sacks ◽  
for the Hiv/aids Treatment Adherenc
Keyword(s):  
Drug Abuse ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Persons Living With Hiv ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
Hiv Aids

Age and Remission of Psychiatric Disorders

1997 ◽  
Vol 42 (7) ◽  
pp. 722-729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger C Bland ◽  
Stephen C Newman ◽  
Helene Orn
Keyword(s):  
Drug Abuse ◽  
Alcohol Abuse ◽  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Remission Rate ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Antisocial Personality ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Remission Rates ◽  
One Year

Objective: To examine the relationship between remission of psychiatric disorders and age. Methods: We interviewed 3258 randomly selected adult residents of Edmonton using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS), which yielded DIS/DSM-III diagnoses. Remission was defined as being free of symptoms of the index lifetime disorder in the year preceding the interview, this being the difference between the lifetime and one-year prevalence. For each age group, the proportion of cases with and without symptoms in the preceding year was calculated. Numbers and proportions of cases were estimated after adjusting to the census population and weighting for household size. Only the more common disorders were examined; any comorbidities were ignored. Results: Drug abuse or dependence, antisocial personality disorder (in both sexes), and alcohol abuse or dependence (in men) all showed remission rates that increased with age. Panic disorder and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) showed a decreased likelihood of remission with increasing age. Major depression and phobias showed little tendency to remission with age. Considering all disorders together, the one-year remission rate for all ages combined was only 33.2%, with a tendency for lower remission rates to be found in those aged 55 to 64. Conclusions: As may be expected, antisocial personality, drug abuse or dependence, and alcohol abuse or dependence tend to show increased remission rates with increasing age. In OCD and panic disorder, the low rates of remission found in all age groups indicate that these disorders produce significant long-term morbidity. For depression, which had an overall remission rate of less than 50%, the stable low rate of remission probably indicates not only the difficulties of treatment but also the low rates at which cases get treated.

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