Substance use among Danish psychiatric patients: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Our findings demonstrate a substantial and problematic use of tobacco and illicit drugs among Danish psychiatric patients, greater than in the general population.

Increased risk of fatal intoxication and polypharmacy among psychiatric patients at death

“…For schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, Toftdahl et al found this number to be more than one-third of their study population [22]. As previously mentioned, psychiatric patients have significantly higher odds of using illicit drugs of abuse compared to the general population [8].…”

“…This is also reflected by the fact that psychiatric patients have a higher risk of medical comorbidity compared to the general population [7]; thus, their psychotropic treatment is supplemented with an array of nonpsychotropic drugs. Additionally, drug abuse is prevalent among psychiatric patients and may further increase the excess mortality of this patient group [8, 9]. With these three sources of compounds combined, psychiatric patients easily end up consuming multiple compounds, thus have an increased risk of adverse effects and possible fatal intoxication as a cause of death.…”

Psychiatric comorbidities in alcohol use disorder

“…Psychiatric comorbidity is the presence, simultaneously or in sequence, of more than one disorder within an individual within a certain time period. 8 The prevalence of most mood, anxiety, substance, and thought disorders is higher in people with alcohol use disorder than in the general population, [9][10][11] although the magnitude of the correlation varies across disorders. 12,13 Alcohol use disorder comorbidity could arise from several potential mechanisms, including a direct or indirect causal effect of the disorder on other psychiatric disorders, or vice versa, shared genetic and environmental causes of the disorder and other psychiatric disorders, or because alcohol use disorder and other psychiatric disorders share psychopathological characteristics and form part of a single diagnostic entity.…”

Psychiatric Co-Morbidity in Alcohol and Drug-Dependence: A Case Control Study

“…16 Psychiatric illness is the presence, concurrently or in order, of more than one condition within a subject within a certain time frame. 17 The prevalence of mood, anxiety and substance issues are higher amongst people with alcohol dependence than amongst the general population, [18][19][20] also, the scale of the association varies across disorders. 21,22 Alcohol usage disorder comorbidity can arise from different potential methods, like a direct or indirect causal association of the disorder over other psychiatric illnesses, or vice versa, related genetic and environmental reasons of the disease and other psychiatric conditions, or due to alcohol usage issues and other psychiatric illnesses share psycho pathological features and form a portion of a single diagnostic form.…”