Search

Persons in drug treatment with drug dependence were interviewed with the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule to ascertain DSM-III-R disorders. Lifetime prevalence rates were 64% for alcohol dependence, 44% for antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), 39% for phobic disorders, 24% for major depression, 12% for dysthymia, 10% for generalized anxiety disorder, 3% for panic disorder, 3% for mania, 3% for obsessive compulsive disorder, 2% for bulimia, 1% for schizophrenia, and 1% for anorexia. When stratified by race and age, significant main effects were seen, but there were no significant interactions except in "any non-substance disorder" and in the mean number of non-substance use disorders. Caucasians had a higher mean number of drug dependence disorders and higher overall rates of "any other" disorder than African-Americans, and Caucasians and males had higher mean numbers of non-substance use disorders than African-Americans and females, respectively. This was related to rates of alcohol, cannabis, and hallucinogen dependence, and ASPD rates that were higher among men than women and higher among Caucasian respondents than African-American for alcohol, cannabis, hallucinogen, opiate and sedative dependence, major depression, dysthymia, and generalized anxiety disorder. In contrast, women had higher rates than men of amphetamine dependence, phobic disorder, major depression, dysthymia, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and mania. African-Americans had higher rates than Caucasians of amphetamine, cocaine, and phencyclidine dependence, but for no comorbid disorders were the rates higher among African-Americans than Caucasians. The differences according to gender in rates of disorders among substance dependent persons are consistent with the results of general population surveys, but the differences in rates according to race are in contrast to these same community surveys. Limitations in the utility of the concept of race as a valid category diminish the generalizability of the findings; however, one possible explanation is differential treatment seeking in African-American and Caucasian populations that would result in the differences seen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between substance use disorders and comorbid psychiatric conditions was investigated among 425 persons in drug treatment who met DSM-III-R criteria for drug dependence. Using the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule to ascertain DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders among these drug dependent subjects, lifetime prevalence rates were 64% for alcohol abuse/dependence, 44% for antisocial personality disorder, 39% for phobic disorders, 24% for major depression, 12% for dysthymia, and 10% for generalized anxiety disorder. We found that antisocial personality disorder and phobias generally had onsets prior to the onset of drug dependence (that is, they were primary disorders). The majority of drug dependent persons with generalized anxiety disorder reported an onset after the onset of drug dependence (that is, they had secondary generalized anxiety). Alcohol dependence, depression, and dysthymia were divided nearly evenly between earlier (primary disorder) and later (secondary disorder). These results are consistent with the body of literature indicating the importance of antisocial syndromes in the etiology of substance abuse and the literature indicating the complex, varying nature of the relationship of psychiatric disorders to substance dependence. Finally, a precise nomenclature for "age of onset," "primary," and "secondary" was developed for this study that is critical to understanding these issues and is recommended for other studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the use of Kratom (Mitragyna sp.), a dietary supplement with mu-opioid agonist activity, by members of a cybercommunity who self-treat chronic pain with opioid analgesics from Internet pharmacies. Within one year, an increase in the number of mentions on Drugbuyers.com, a Web site that facilitates the online purchase of opioid analgesics, suggested that members began managing opioid withdrawal with Kratom. This study demonstrates the rapidity with which information on psychoactive substances disseminates through online communities and suggests that online surveillance may be important to the generation of effective opioid analgesic abuse prevention strategies.