title: Understanding comorbidity between substance use, anxiety and affective disorders: broadening the research base.
abstract: In this paper, we argue that the research base for understanding comorbidity between substance use and other mental disorders needs to be broadened. We specifically advocate for: 1) more prospective epidemiological studies of relationships between alcohol and other drug use disorders and anxiety and mood disorders; 2) greater use of twin study designs to disentangle shared genetic and environmental contributions to comorbidity; 3) prospective neuroimaging studies of the effects of early and sustained alcohol and drug use on the developing adolescent brain; 4) a greater focus on the effects on comorbidity of primary and secondary prevention interventions for substance use, anxiety, affective and conduct disorders among children and adolescents; and 5) better evaluations of the impact of treatment upon persons with comorbid substance use and other mental disorders.
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Herston Road, Herston, Queensland 4006, Australia. w.hall@sph.uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Louisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Degenhardt
authors.forename: Maree
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teesson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D006801:Humans; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D012107:Research Design; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy