The changing gender gap in substance use disorder: a total population-based study of psychiatric in-patients.
OBJECTIVE
To study changes over a 25-year period in the gender gap in discharge diagnoses of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and other substance use disorder (SUD) in psychiatric in-patients.


METHODS
A register-based study of all admissions to psychiatric hospitals in Iceland between January 1983 and December 2007.


METHODS
Annual rate of admissions to psychiatric hospitals, adjusted for changes in the size of the population. Furthermore, gender-specific analysis of changes in discharge diagnoses of AUD solely and other SUD (including AUD with other SUDs).


RESULTS
Of all psychiatric admissions, the proportion of any SUD admissions increased considerably during the study period. This increase was most pronounced in SUDs other than solely AUD. AUD increased for women and decreased for men. The male to female ratio of AUD alone decreased from 4.2 to 1.5 (P < 0.001). There was no significant change in the gender gap for other SUDs (P = 0.96).


CONCLUSIONS
There has been a marked convergence of the gender gap in discharge diagnosis of alcohol use disorder among psychiatric in-patients in Iceland over the last decades. For other substance use disorders, the change was not as pronounced. Our results emphasize the importance of monitoring changes in substance use disorder diagnosis as this may uncover different treatment needs in this group of vulnerable individuals.
Department of Psychiatry, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavík, Iceland. steinnstein@gmail.com
Steinn
S
Steingrímsson
Hanne Krage
HK
Carlsen
Sigmundur
S
Sigfússon
Andrés
A
Magnússon
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012744:Sex Ratio; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult