Inpatient physicians and nurses with dual diagnosis: an exploratory study

This study explored the clinical features of physicians and nurses with dual diagnosis.

We conducted a retrospective review of 150 medical records of physicians (n = 120) and nurses (n = 30) admitted from February 2008 to February 2011 to the Barcelona Psychiatric Inpatient Unit for Health Professionals. Routine intake included the Spanish version of the Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders (PRISM-IV) and a clinical interview.

The mean age of participants was 48.59 (SD = 8.9) years and 57.3% were male. Patients experienced substance dependence with alcohol (n = 112, 74.7%), sedatives (n = 59, 39.3%), cocaine (n = 24, 16%), other stimulants (n = 15, 10%), and opiates other than heroin (n = 16, 10.7%). About 41% (n = 61) also met criteria for a mental health disorder, mainly major depressive disorder (n = 42, 28%), while 8% (n = 12) had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A high proportion of physicians (n = 95, 79.2%) and nurses (n = 25, 83.3%) had nicotine dependence. The most common comorbidity was alcohol dependence and major depressive disorder. No differences were found between groups in the prevalence of substance use disorders, mental health disorders, and dual diagnosis.

Dual diagnosis is a common condition among inpatient physicians and nurses with substance use disorders and its clinical presentation may be similar in both groups.