title: Lifetime diagnosis of major depression as a multivariate predictor of treatment outcome for inpatients with substance use disorders from abstinence-based programs.
abstract: A multisite, longitudinal study of patients undergoing inpatient alcohol and drug dependence treatment was conducted in private inpatient facilities, consisting of 4339 subjects from 38 independent programs enrolled in a national addiction treatment outcomes registry. Structured interviews were conducted upon admission, including documentation of current alcohol/drug disorder (DSM-III-R) and lifetime diagnosis of major depressive syndrome; structured interviews were conducted prospectively at 6- and 12-month follow-up periods. The prevalence rate of lifetime diagnosis of major depression in the sample was 39%. Comorbidity varied according to gender and substance of choice. Lifetime depressive symptoms did not correlate with differential length-of-stay, treatment completion, or follow-up consent and, at best, were very weakly associated with follow-up contact. Patients diagnosed with lifetime depression showed the same frequency of participation in posttreatment continuing care: they also showed statistically significant reductions in job absenteeism, inpatient hospitalizations, and arrest rates pre- vs. posttreatment comparable to those of patients without lifetime depression diagnosis. Lifetime major depressive syndrome was not a predictor of outcome in response to abstinence-based treatment. Involvement in posttreatment continuing care accounted for far greater outcome variance. Posttreatment vs. pretreatment factors may be more decisive in influencing risk for relapse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, The University of Illinois at Chicago, 60612-7327, USA.
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ninonuevo
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Astrachan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology