title: Comorbid mental and substance disorders among older psychiatric patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the rate and configurations of current comorbid mental and substance disorders among older psychiatric patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive, retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A non-acute, public residential psychiatric treatment facility for adults 55 years of age and older (mean length of stay: 3 months).
  
  
  METHODS
  128 patients discharged during a 2-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  DSM-III-R diagnoses, demographic and history data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence rate of concurrent mental and substance disorders during the present treatment episode was 21%. This is comparable to the 6-month rate of 19.8% found in the Epidemiological Catchment Area Study among adults in treatment (all ages). Nearly 50% of the dually diagnosed subsample received more than two diagnoses, with 60% of the subsample receiving a personality disorder diagnosis. Concurrent affective, alcohol, and personality disorder diagnoses were common.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older patients with comorbid substance-use and mental disorders may differ substantively from comorbid younger patients. Among older patients in an intermediate-term psychiatric facility, the triple occurrence of alcoholism personality disorder and depression was common.
authors.affiliation: Florida Mental Health Institute, Department of Aging and Mental Health, University of South Florida, Tampa.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Speer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bates
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*