Psychiatric symptoms in drug abusing adolescents

Psychiatric symptoms and psychosocial variables were investigated in 46 adolescent drug abusers referred to a psychiatric clinic. There were high rates of behavioural symptoms (mostly oppositional and delinquent), emotional symptoms (mostly depressive) and an abundance of adverse life events and family dynamics. When compared to a control group of non-abusing adolescents, drug users were only more behaviourally disturbed. Cluster analysis of the drug abusing adolescents showed that they fell into three distinct groups of (1) behavioural dysfunction (76%); (2) family dysfunction (16%); and (3) emotional dysfunction (8). The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.