Psychoactive substance use diagnoses among psychiatric in-patients.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence and possible under-diagnosing of substance use disorders and to consider factors that might influence diagnosing of substance use disorders.


METHODS
Data collected from case records and PSE interviews of psychiatric in-patients from 12 psychiatric departments in Denmark admitted during October 1996 were compared with data from the Danish Psychiatric Register.


RESULTS
A substantially lower prevalence of substance use diagnoses were found in the register (26.1%) than in the research data (50.0%). A high prevalence of co-occurrence between substance use disorders and mental disorders other than substance use disorders was found (37.3%). In the majority of cases knowledge of the substance use disorders was present in the case records, although they had not resulted in a diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
The under-diagnosis of substance use disorders is due not only to concealed diagnostic signs and symptoms but also to an under-diagnosis by the psychiatrists, in spite of the fact that information on the substance use was accessible.
Hansen
S S
SS
Department of Psychiatric Demography, Institute for Basic Psychiatric Research, Psychiatric Hospital in Aarhus, Risskov, Denmark.
Munk-Jørgensen
P
P
Guldbaek
B
B
Solgård
T
T
Lauszus
K S
KS
Albrechtsen
N
N
Borg
L
L
Egander
A
A
Faurholdt
K
K
Gilberg
A
A
Gosden
N P
NP
Lorenzen
J
J
Richelsen
B
B
Weischer
K
K
Bertelsen
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*