Substance use disorders and comorbid mental disorders in first-time admitted patients from a catchment area

To describe lifetime mental disorders in patients with substance use disorders (SUD) admitted for the first time to specialized treatment for psychiatric or addiction problems from a catchment area.

Special efforts were made to include all eligible patients and secure completion of thorough assessments, including the Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders (PRISM) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV axis II personality disorders (SCID-II). The strength of this study lies in its rigorous patient recruitment and assessment methods.

Of 61 patients, 53 had alcohol use disorder (AUD). Of these, 28 had AUD only, and 25 had an additional drug use disorder (DUD). 89% had comorbid axis I (85%) or axis II (46%) disorders. The most prevalent axis I disorders were major depressive disorder (71%), social phobia (31%) and posttraumatic stress disorder (18%). Among those with comorbid psychiatric disorders (n = 54), 25 (41% of the sample) had disorders considered to be independent of their substance use only, 4 patients (7%) had substance-induced disorders only, and 23 patients (38%) had both independent and substance-induced disorders.

Comorbid mental disorders were remarkably prevalent in these SUD patients who were admitted for the first time.