title: Characteristics of outpatients in an addictions clinic for co-occurring disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine characteristics of treatment-seeking outpatients from a clinic for co-occurring disorders within an urban psychiatric hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (n = 131) completed six self-report scales including the Brief Symptom Inventory and Toronto Alexithymia Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common substance use disorders were: alcohol (62%), tobacco (50%), cannabis (22%), cocaine/stimulants (18%). The most common psychiatric disorders were: mood (65%), psychotic (24%) and anxiety disorders (24%). Many of the scales correlated with the global psychiatric severity score. Patients with mood disorders had superior interpersonal functioning global scores and reported reduced drug use and reduced advice seeking. Patients with psychotic disorders had higher global psychiatric severity scores and reported higher advice seeking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This preliminary study indicates that among a heterogeneous sample of patients with co-occurring disorders the more symptomatic patients may present with a wider range of impairments along with some specific differences based on psychiatric diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. jan_malat@camh.net
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Malat
authors.forename: Nigel E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Turner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D010045:Outpatients; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014505:Urban Population