A Comparison of Psychopathology in Cocaine and Alcohol Dependence

The authors studied 89 alcohol- or cocaine-dependent inpatients for comorbid Axis I or Axis II psychiatric disorders. Subjects were administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) to determine Axis I diagnoses. Axis II diagnoses were determined using the SCID II self-rating questionnaire and interview. High rates of Axis I disorders were found in both groups, but the types of disorders differed between groups. Axis II disorders were also commonly found in both groups but were significantly more common in the cocaine group. The types of personality disorders differed between the alcohol and cocaine groups, with the cocaine group showing significantly more Axis II Cluster A and B diagnoses.