These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Substance abuse in hospitalized psychiatric patients.
    Author: Katz G, Durst R, Shufman E, Bar-Hamburger R, Grunhaus L.
    Journal: Isr Med Assoc J; 2008 Oct; 10(10):672-5. PubMed ID: 19009943.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: The co-morbidity rate of illicit substance abuse and major mental problems in Israel is far from clear. OBJECTIVES: 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.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]