Search

The authors conducted systematic searches in standard databases using key search terms related to epidemiology, prevalence, and co-occurring substance use and other mental disorders (COD), as well as specific combinations of drug and mental disorders. The authors targeted high-quality, large sample epidemiological surveys so as to utilize studies of high methodological rigor in the construction of recommendations for clinical identification. Further refined searches to identify these studies revealed common themes and related research gaps. Findings suggest that clinicians should have increased expectation that a patient with a substance use disorder (SUD) has a co-occurring mental disorder if the SUD is relatively severe, if the patient began using substances (including tobacco) at an early age, is female, is dependent on nicotine, or has a drug use disorder. Patients identified as having at least one SUD and one co-occurring mental disorder should be assessed to identify other likely CODs, because disorders are not normally distributed and tend to cluster in relatively few individuals. (Am J Addict 2012;21:97-103) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although alcohol use disorders are commonly associated with co-morbid drug use and psychiatric disorders, such co-morbidity is frequently underdiagnosed and inadequately treated. This paper reviews the epidemiological, diagnostic, and treatment literature on the co-morbidity of alcoholism, with a focus on the most common co-morbid disorders: drug abuse, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and antisocial personality disorder. The paper goes on to describe a number of promising approaches to the treatment of these common co-morbid disorders in alcoholics. Despite the difficulties inherent in treating dual diagnosis patients, the clinician must recognize that it is possible to derive valid diagnoses and deliver efficacious treatment to such patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]