title: Differences in substance abuse patterns: multiple drug abuse alone versus schizophrenia with multiple drug abuse.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the lifetime consumption patterns of patients with schizophrenia and multiple substance abuse and multiple substance abusers without schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and thirty in-patients of a specialized rehabilitation facility for young drug abusers were assessed with regard to their lifetime consumption patterns of 16 different classes of psychoactive drugs. While 110 patients had no diagnosis of a schizophrenic disorder, 120 patients had a comorbidity of multiple substance abuse and schizophrenia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comorbid patients reported a higher lifetime consumption of hallucinogens, whereas multiple substance abusers without schizophrenia showed a higher lifetime consumption rate of cocaine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The differences found in lifetime consumption patterns between comorbid patients and substance abusers without psychotic disorder do not support the so-called self-medication hypothesis. Instead, the differences in lifetime consumption of certain drugs might be a result of lower social competence and standing in schizophrenic patients and lower ability to procure certain illicit drugs.
authors.affiliation: Diakoniekrankenhaus Rotenburg, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Elise-Averdieck-Strasse 17, 27356 Rotenburg (Wümme), Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lammertink
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Löhrer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hambrecht
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pukrop
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs