[Dual Pathology in General Population of Itagüí, Colombia]

To study the prevalence of dual diagnosis (presence of a substance use disorder and an associated mental disorder) in the general population of a small town in the department of Antioquia in Colombia, through secondary analysis of survey data on Mental Health held in this city in 2011.

With a sample of 415 subjects, the interview Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), WHO CAPI version, was used and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v.21.

The prevalence of dual diagnosis, considering that the presence of a diagnosis of mental disorder and a disorder snuff use of different substances was 7.2%. Substances with higher prevalence of use in life for individuals with dual diagnosis were alcohol (96.7%), marijuana (80.0%), cocaine and derivatives (33.3%), heroin (23.3%) and finally no prescription tranquilizers (13.3%), finding statistical association between drug use and dual diagnosis. Major depression (40%), oppositional defiant disorder (36.7%), posttraumatic stress (33.3%), specific phobia and attention deficit (26.7%) are the most prevalent disorders in individuals with dual diagnosis of this sample. Alcohol or drugs consumption and fulfilling diagnostic criteria for dual diagnosis have a significant statistical association for consumption of drugs like marijuana, cocaine, heroin and prescription medications (P<0.001), all with disparity ratios of >1.00, very high when the drug is heroin consumed (RD=38.754) or non-prescription medications (RD=29.462). A family history of disease and drug use has a high statistical association with dual diagnosis, with a higher association with a history of mental illness (P<.001; RD=3.677).

The study reports on the prevalence of subjects with dual diagnosis in a Colombian population. Alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and heroin are derivatives and substances mostly consumed by these patients and the most prevalent mental disorders are depression, TOD and posttraumatic stress. These findings motivate clinicians to more actively seek the presence of dual diagnosis, directing a more appropriately treatment plans.