Inhalant use, abuse, and dependence among adolescent patients: commonly comorbid problems.
OBJECTIVE
Little is known about adolescents with DSM-IV-defined inhalant abuse and dependence. The aim of this study was to compare comorbidity among (1) adolescents with inhalant use disorders, (2) adolescents who reported using inhalants without inhalant use disorder, and (3) other adolescent patients drawn from an adolescent drug and alcohol treatment program.


METHODS
The authors examined 847 admissions of patients who had completed structured diagnostic assessments. The three groups were compared for noninhalant substance use disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, conduct disorder, major depression, previous suicide attempts, and physical/sexual abuse and neglect.


RESULTS
Adolescents with inhalant abuse or dependence (group 1; n = 28) were significantly more likely to meet lifetime criteria for abuse or dependence on alcohol, hallucinogens, nicotine, cocaine, and amphetamines, to have had major depression, and to have attempted suicide compared with other adolescent patients who reported never using inhalants (group 3); adolescents with inhalant use disorders also reported significantly more abuse and neglect. Adolescents with inhalant abuse or dependence (group 1) did not differ significantly on any measure compared with adolescents who reported using inhalants without an inhalant use disorder (group 2).


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescent patients with a history of inhalant use, abuse, or dependence entering treatment should be carefully screened for noninhalant substance use disorders, major depression, suicidality, and abuse and neglect.
Division of Substance Dependence, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO 80262, USA. joseph.sakai@uchsc.edu
Joseph T
JT
Sakai
Shannon K
SK
Hall
Susan K
SK
Mikulich-Gilbertson
Thomas J
TJ
Crowley
D000293:Adolescent; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003120:Colorado; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*
D013287:Illicit Drugs