Physical illness in psychiatric inpatients: Comparison of patients with and without substance use disorders

Karel Frasch, Jens Ivar Larsen, Joachim Cordes, Bent Jacobsen, Signe Olrik Wallenstein Jensen, Christoph Lauber, Jørgen Achton Nielsen, Kenji J Tsuchiya, Richard Uwakwe, Povl Munk-Jørgensen, Reinhold Kilian and Thomas Becker

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2013, vol. 59, issue 8, 757-764

Abstract: Background: Physical comorbidities and substance use are commonly reported in patients with mental disorders. Aim: To examine somatic comorbidity in patients with substance use disorders (SUD) compared to patients with mental disorders but no SUD. Methods: Lifetime prevalence data on mental and physical health status were collected from inpatients in 12 mental health care facilities in five different countries. Differences in somatic comorbidity were examined by means of logistic regression analysis controlling for age and gender. Results: Of 2,338 patients, 447 (19%) had a primary or secondary SUD diagnosis. In comparison to patients with other mental disorders, patients with SUD had a higher prevalence of infectious and digestive diseases but a lower prevalence of endocrine, nutritional and metabolic disorders. Patterns of physical comorbidities differed according to type of substance used (alcohol use – cardiovascular; tobacco use – respiratory, neoplasms; cannabinoid use – injuries; opioid use – infectious, digestive; benzodiazepine use – endocrine, nutritional, metabolic; stimulants – urogenital). Conclusions: SUD are related to specific somatic health risks while some of our findings point to potentially protective effects. The widespread prescription of benzodiazepines requires research on physical health effects. Early detection of SUD and their integration into programmes targeting physical comorbidity should be a priority in organizing mental health care.

Keywords: Substance use disorders; somatic comorbidity; physical illness; somatic health risks; psychiatric inpatients (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:59:y:2013:i:8:p:757-764

DOI: 10.1177/0020764012456803

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