Comparison of drug use and psychiatric morbidity between prostitute and non-prostitute female drug users in Glasgow, Scotland.
OBJECTIVE
To compare psychiatric morbidity between 176 female drug users with lifetime involvement in prostitution (prostitutes) and 89 female drug users with no involvement (non-prostitutes) in Glasgow, Scotland.


METHODS
The Revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R) measured current neurotic symptoms.


RESULTS
Prostitutes were more likely to report adult physical (OR 1.8) or sexual abuse (OR 2.4), to have attempted suicide (OR 1.7) and to meet criteria for current depressive ideas (OR 1.8) than non-prostitutes. Seventy-two percent of prostitutes and sixty-seven percent of non-prostitutes met criteria for a level of current neurotic symptoms likely to need treatment (CIS-R > or = 18). Being in foster care (OR 8.9), being prescribed medication for emotional problems in the last 30 days (OR 7.7), adult sexual abuse (OR 4.5), poly drug use in the last 30 days (OR 3.6) and adult physical abuse (OR 2.6) were significantly associated with a CIS-R score of > or = 18 for prostitutes using multiple logistic regression.


CONCLUSIONS
Higher rates of adulthood abuse among prostitutes may explain the greater proportion of prostitutes than non-prostitutes meeting criteria for current depressive ideas and lifetime suicide attempts.
Gilchrist
Gail
G
Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Australia. g.gilchrist@unimelb.edu.au
Gruer
Laurence
L
Atkinson
Jacqueline
J
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009017:Morbidity; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012742:Sex Offenses; D011477:Sex Work / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*