Substance abuse in hospitalized psychiatric patients.
BACKGROUND
The co-morbidity rate of illicit substance abuse and major mental problems in Israel is far from clear.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the extent of drug abuse in a sample of psychiatric patients hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital and in the psychiatric department of a general hospital in Israel, to compare demographic and other background factors in dual-diagnosis patients with those of abuse-free mental inpatients, and to examine the time correlation between drug abuse and the appearance of major mental problems.


METHODS
Our data were derived from self-report and urine tests. The study population comprised 470 consecutively admitted patients--250 patients in the mental health center and 220 patients in the psychiatric department of the general hospital.


RESULTS
The lifetime prevalence of drug abuse was 24%; cannabis abuse was found in 19.7%, opiates in 5.7%, cocaine in 2.7%, amphetamines in 3.4% and methamphetamine in 1.1%. Active abuse of drugs (during the last month) was registered in 17.3%, cannabis in 11.5%, opiates in 4.9%, amphetamine in 3.8%, cocaine in 1.3% and methamphetamine in 1.1%. We also found that 28.2% of active abusers used two or more substances. In 41.6% the drug abuse appeared prior to symptoms of the mental disorder; in 37.1% the duration of the mental disorders and the drug abuse was relatively similar, and in 21.3% of cases the duration of mental problems was longer than the duration of drug abuse. Dual-diagnosis patients were younger than non-abusers, more often male, unmarried, and of western origin.


CONCLUSIONS
Substance abuse (especially cannabis) among hospitalized psychiatric patients in Israel is a growing problem.
Katz
Gregory
G
Jerusalem Mental Health Center, Jerusalem, Israel ngkatz@012.net.il
Durst
Rimona
R
Shufman
Emi
E
Bar-Hamburger
Rachel
R
Grunhaus
Leon
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants