Cocaine-induced psychotic symptoms in clinical setting

Cocaine use is significantly associated with psychiatric co-morbidities of which psychotic symptoms are the most typical. The primary goal of this study is to estimate the life-time prevalence of cocaine-induced psychotic symptoms (CIPS) in a sample of patients without a history of primary psychosis, who attended specific out-patient drug-dependence treatment centres (ODDTCs). This is an observational, cross-sectional design and a consecutive sampling technique. The Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms-Cocaine Induced Psychosis (SAPS-CIP) was used to interview 114 patients who request treatment at specific ODDTCs for problems related to cocaine use. Most patients, 89.5% (95% CIs: 83.8-95.2%) had dependence of cocaine and 84.2% (95% CIs: 77.5-90.9%) showed at least one CIPS. Patients with CIPS had used cocaine more times throughout their lives and had a more frequency of use during the period of higher abuse severity in the last year, had higher severity of dependence score and had fewer abstinence periods greater than 30 days compared with those without CIPS. Cocaine dependency severity scale scores were significantly greater in patients with CIPS compared with those without CIPS.