Demographic and clinical correlates of substance abuse comorbidity in schizophrenia

Seventy patients of schizophrenia were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of substance abusing history in them. Two groups were compared on various socio-demographic and clinical variables. Thirty-eight (54.3%) patients could be diagnosed as having comorbid alcohol/substance abuse/dependence. Seventeen (24.3%) of them were poly-substance abusers. Comorbid substance abusers were predominantly represented by positive syndrome while non-abusers by negative syndrome. In contrast to the report by the most western researchers, most patients in the present study with a diagnosis of substance abusing schizophrenia were married. Similar study from a developing country is rare in the existing literature.