Medical and psychiatric conditions of alcohol and drug treatment patients in an HMO: comparison with matched controls.
BACKGROUND
Substance abuse and health problems seem to be inextricably related. Yet, prior research on the health conditions related to substance abuse is largely focused on alcohol and is from patients treated in publicly funded programs, inpatients, and the general population.


METHODS
This study compares the prevalence of medical and psychiatric conditions among 747 substance abuse patients and 3690 demographically matched controls from the same health maintenance organization, and examines whether any heightened prevalence for substance abuse patients (relative to controls) varies according to demographic subgroups and type of substance.


RESULTS
Approximately one third of the conditions examined were more common among substance abuse patients than among matched controls, and many of these conditions were among the most costly. We also found that pain-related diagnoses, including arthritis, headache, and lower back pain, were more prevalent among such patients, particularly those dependent on narcotic analgesics.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings point to the importance of examining comorbid medical conditions and substance abuse in both primary and specialty care. Our findings regarding pain-related diagnoses among patients dependent on narcotic analgesics highlight the need for linkages between primary care and substance abuse treatment. Moreover, optimal treatment of many common medical disorders may require identification, intervention, and treatment of an underlying substance abuse disorder.
Mertens
Jennifer R
JR
Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, Oakland, California 94612, USA.
Lu
Yun W
YW
Parthasarathy
Sujaya
S
Moore
Charles
C
Weisner
Constance M
CM
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires