Mental Disorder Comorbidity in a Public Physical and Mental Health Community-Based Care Network Specialized in Alcohol and Drugs

Abstract

Mental disorder comorbidity in substance use disorder patients is a common problem with health care implications. This study aimed to investigate mental disorder comorbidity in a physical and mental health community-based care network specialized in alcohol and drug dependence. This multicenter crosssectional study included 103 substance use disorder patients from four Brazilian Referral Centers for Psycho-Social Care. Data were assessed by Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and Addiction Severity Index questionnaires. Unemployed single men between 30-59 years old characterized the sample and showed a significant correlation between alcohol, cocaine or crack, and cannabis dependence with some other serious mental disorders, but not among tobacco smokers. Mental disorder comorbidity is still common in some models of psychosocial care. It suggests that an unambiguous dual-diagnosis and a precise differentiation between primary mental disorders and substance use disorders must be a common clinical staff practice part of the routine in the different models of drug dependence care to obtain an effective mental health intervention for these individuals.