title: Course and severity of substance abuse among patients with comorbid major depression.
abstract: The authors assessed the course and severity of substance-related disorder (SRD) among patients with comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD) by means of both retrospective and concurrent data. A total of 642 patients were assessed. Data on course included lifetime use, age at first use, years of use, use in the last year; periods of abstinence, and current diagnosis. Data on severity included two measures of SRD-associated problems, substance abuse vs. dependence, self-help activities, and number of substances being abused. SRD-MDD patients tended to manifest lower levels of cannabis, opiate, and cocaine use, and more SRD-only patients were abusing three or more substances. Men with SRD-MDD demonstrated longer mean durations of abstinence compared with men with SRD-only, whereas SRD-MDD women demonstrated shorter mean durations of abstinence, compared with women with SRD-only. MDD-SRD patients showed slightly less substance abuse, but SRD severity was comparable with SRD-only patients.
authors.affiliation: Minneapolis VA Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Westermeyer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kopka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nugent
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs