Dual Diagnosis on “Substance Abuse”

Abstract

Three large U.S. epidemiological surveys researching the prevalence of comorbid psychiatric illness and "substance abuse disorders" are reviewed: the Epidemiological Catchment Area Study, (N=20,219); the National Comorbidity Survey (N=8098), and the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiological Survey (N=42,862). Findings suggest that comorbidity is highly prevalent but that longitudinal information remains limited limited--which restricts understanding of its "natural history," stability, common risk factors, and causal relationships.

When dual diagnosis means no diagnosis: co-occurring mental illness and problematic drug use in clients of alcohol and drug services in eastern metropolitan Melbourne

“…This study indicates that the reverse is also true in that psychiatric problems are poorly documented in ADS histories. Since the prevalence of co-morbidity changes according to the type and circumstances of assessment (Silva De Lima, Lorea, & Carpena, 2002), improvements in assessment and documentation should result in greater accuracy of prevalence data on dual diagnosis in ADS. Moreover, it is evident from the study that the term dual diagnosis is a misnomer for ADS clients, as it appears the likelihood of ADS clients with co-morbidity having accurate psychiatric diagnoses is unacceptably low.…”

Mental Disorders among Children and Adolescents Admitted to a French Psychiatric Emergency Service

“…Diagnoses were established by a senior general psychiatrist based on the ICD-10 sections [17]. Dual diagnosis was defined as the co-occurrence of a mental disorder (any) and a substance-related disorder [18]. Other data regarding the PED analyzed during the study period included the number of emergency care episodes.…”

Alcohol dependence with comorbid drug dependence: genetic and phenotypic associations suggest a more severe form of the disorder with stronger genetic contribution to risk*

“…Several large epidemiological surveys conducted in the United States (the Epidemiological Catchment Area Study [1], the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiological Survey [2], the National Comorbidity Survey [3] and the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions [4]), as well as in other countries (the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well Being: NSMH & WB [5]; and the Mental Health Supplement of the Ontario Canada Health Survey: MHS‐OHS [6]), demonstrate significant comorbidity between alcohol usedisorders and other psychiatric problems. Illicit drug dependences are among the most frequently co‐occurring disorders with alcohol dependence [7–9].…”