Psychiatric comorbidity related to alcohol use among adolescents.
BACKGROUND
Alcohol use is apparently related to high prevalences of psychiatric comorbidity, although scientific studies focusing the problem among adolescents are still lacking.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the performance of adolescents with different patterns of alcohol use on screening instruments for psychiatric disorders.


METHODS
Forty-one adolescents seeking assistance for alcohol-related problems were compared to a nonclinical sample of 43 adolescents. These 84 users were divided in three sub-groups according to pattern of recent alcohol intake. All subjects responded to validated versions of screening scales for mental disorders. Comparison of groups was held through Analysis of variance (ANOVA).


RESULTS
Self Report Questionnaire (SRQ) aims to evaluate the presence of mental disorders. Heavy users presented significant higher scores than the other groups (p < .05) and half of them presented a psychiatry diagnosis. The same was observed for the CES-D. Using the cut-off, 76.9% of daily-users adolescents were considered depressive. In the Beck Anxiety Inventory the same was observed and 50.0% of those adolescents who drank daily could be considered at risk of presenting anxiety disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
We detected higher prevalences of mental disorders among heavy alcohol users. This reinforces the importance of detailed diagnostic investigation of patients.
Fidalgo
Thiago Marques
TM
Program for the Orientation and Assistance for Substance Addicts, Department of Psychiatry, São Paulo Medical School (EPM), Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil. marquesfidalgo@yahoo.com.br
da Silveira
Evelyn Doering
ED
da Silveira
Dartiu Xavier
DX
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires