Drug abuse treatment at the San Martin General Hospital, Buenos Aires

The General Hospital facilitates the detection of users and abusers who seek care for other diseases. The research programme on drug abuse is operated at the Mental Health Department of the Hospital General San Martin, Medical School, Buenos Aires University. Characteristics of the population attended are described according to the age, sex, drugs of abuse, gateway drugs, places and ages, and other psychiatric diagnoses according to the DSM III. Finally, therapeutic resources are described: individual and family psychotherapies and family counselling.