Substance abuse in first-episode non-affective psychosis

TY - JOUR

T1 - Substance abuse in first-episode non-affective psychosis

AU - Larsen, Tor K

AU - Melle, Ingrid

AU - Auestad, Bjørn

AU - Friis, Svein

AU - Haahr, Ulrik

AU - Johannessen, Jan Olav

AU - Opjordsmoen, Stein

AU - Rund, Bjørn Rishovd

AU - Simonsen, Erik

AU - Vaglum, Per

AU - McGlashan, Thomas H

PY - 2006

Y1 - 2006

N2 - Abuse of alcohol and drugs is an important and clinically challenging aspect of first-episode psychosis. Only a few studies have been carried out on large-sized and reliably characterized samples. These are reviewed, and the results are compared with a sample of 300 first-episode psychosis patients recruited for the TIPS (Early Treatment and Identification of Psychosis) study from Norway and Denmark. Prevalence rates from the literature vary from 6% to 44% for drugs and 3% to 35% for alcohol. In our sample, 23% abused drugs and 15% abused alcohol during the last 6 months. When compared to non-abusers, the drug-abusing group is characterized by the following: male gender, younger age, better premorbid social, poor premorbid academic functioning, and more contact with friends in the last year before onset. Alcohol abusers were the oldest group and they had the least contact with friends. A group of patients abusing both drugs and alcohol had poor premorbid academic functioning from early childhood. Overall, drug and alcohol abuse are highly prevalent in contemporary first-episode psychosis samples. In our study, substance abuse comorbidity did not generate differences on diagnosis, duration of untreated psychosis, psychiatric symptoms, or global functioning at onset/baseline. The premorbid profiles of the substance abusers were clearly different from the non-abusers. Drug abusers, in particular, were more socially active both premorbidly and during the year preceding the start of treatment.

AB - Abuse of alcohol and drugs is an important and clinically challenging aspect of first-episode psychosis. Only a few studies have been carried out on large-sized and reliably characterized samples. These are reviewed, and the results are compared with a sample of 300 first-episode psychosis patients recruited for the TIPS (Early Treatment and Identification of Psychosis) study from Norway and Denmark. Prevalence rates from the literature vary from 6% to 44% for drugs and 3% to 35% for alcohol. In our sample, 23% abused drugs and 15% abused alcohol during the last 6 months. When compared to non-abusers, the drug-abusing group is characterized by the following: male gender, younger age, better premorbid social, poor premorbid academic functioning, and more contact with friends in the last year before onset. Alcohol abusers were the oldest group and they had the least contact with friends. A group of patients abusing both drugs and alcohol had poor premorbid academic functioning from early childhood. Overall, drug and alcohol abuse are highly prevalent in contemporary first-episode psychosis samples. In our study, substance abuse comorbidity did not generate differences on diagnosis, duration of untreated psychosis, psychiatric symptoms, or global functioning at onset/baseline. The premorbid profiles of the substance abusers were clearly different from the non-abusers. Drug abusers, in particular, were more socially active both premorbidly and during the year preceding the start of treatment.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Adult

KW - Aged

KW - Comorbidity

KW - Demography

KW - Early Diagnosis

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Mass Screening

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Prevalence

KW - Psychotic Disorders

KW - Social Behavior

KW - Substance Abuse Detection

KW - Substance-Related Disorders

U2 - 10.1016/j.schres.2006.07.018

DO - 10.1016/j.schres.2006.07.018

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 16971092

SN - 0920-9964

VL - 88

SP - 55

EP - 62

JO - Schizophrenia Research

JF - Schizophrenia Research

IS - 1-3

ER -