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Is there a progression from abuse disorders to dependence disorders?
Ty A Ridenour1, Linda B Cottler, Wilson M Compton
1The Prevention Research Center, Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16801, USA. tar13@psu.edu
Addiction (Abingdon, England)
|May 20, 2003
Summary
A progression from substance abuse to dependence occurs for alcohol and cannabis but not for cocaine or opiates. Further research is needed to understand variations in substance use disorder progression rates.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Addiction Medicine
- Substance Use Disorders
Background:
- Recent research indicates a progression from alcohol abuse to alcohol dependence.
- This progression model may not apply to all substance use disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if a progression from DSM-IV abuse to dependence occurs for cannabis, cocaine, and opiates.
- To compare progression patterns across different substances.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of data from the DSM-IV Substance Use Disorders Work Group (n=1226).
- Utilized McNemar's chi2, configural frequency analyses, and survival analyses.
- Participants were recruited from community and clinical settings.
Main Results:
- Lifetime dependence without prior abuse was infrequent across all studied substances.
- Findings supported a progression from abuse to dependence for alcohol and cannabis.
- No clear progression was observed for cocaine and opiates; dependence and abuse often occurred concurrently.
Conclusions:
- The progression from substance abuse to dependence varies significantly between different drugs.
- Further research is required to elucidate the mechanisms driving these between-drug variations in disorder progression.