title: Psychiatric symptoms in drug abusing adolescents.
abstract: Psychiatric symptoms and psychosocial variables were investigated in 46 adolescent drug abusers referred to a psychiatric clinic. There were high rates of behavioural symptoms (mostly oppositional and delinquent), emotional symptoms (mostly depressive) and an abundance of adverse life events and family dynamics. When compared to a control group of non-abusing adolescents, drug users were only more behaviourally disturbed. Cluster analysis of the drug abusing adolescents showed that they fell into three distinct groups of (1) behavioural dysfunction (76%); (2) family dysfunction (16%); and (3) emotional dysfunction (8). The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Psychiatry, St. Thomas Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Swadi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010553:Personality Development; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*