Co-morbidity is "the occurrence of 2 or more distinct psychiatric disorders at the same time". Clinical and general population studies show that alcohol abuse or dependence and major depression often coexist. The presence of co-morbid conditions, such as alcohol dependence (AD) and major depression, has important implications for patient functioning and prognosis, including difficulties in case identification, treatment effectiveness and compliance, altered pharmacokinetics, and increased chronicity of both conditions. Although depression and alcohol dependence commonly coexist in community and treatment-seeking populations, there is no clear consensus on appropriate assessment and treatment of patients who present with symptoms of both disorders. To make appropriate treatment decisions, clinicians must know the likely effects of depression on drinking outcomes. This article reviews the relation between co-morbid depression and alcohol dependence.

Non-compliance is a significant problem in all patient population, from children to elderly. It is a serious problem and has many effects on overall treatment and prognosis of the illness. In spite of recent progress in the treatment of psychosis during the last decades, non-compliance continues to be a frequent phenomenon, often associated to potentially severe clinical consequences and high costs. The contributing factors of non-compliance in psychotic disorders can be divided in medication-related and patient-related. It is closely related to treatment outcome. This article is intended to review various factors related to non-compliance and relationship between them.

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