TY - JOUR
T1 - The impact of substance use disorders on the course of schizophrenia-A 15-year follow-up study
T2 - Dual diagnosis over 15 years
AU - Schmidt, Lasse M
AU - Hesse, Morten
AU - Lykke, Jørn
N1 - Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - BACKGROUND: This follow-up study compared patients with schizophrenia with co-occurring substance use disorder to patients with schizophrenia and no substance use disorder. AIMS: To investigate the prognostic significance of the effects of substance use disorders on the course of schizophrenia. METHOD: Patients with schizophrenia and co-occurring substance use disorder (n=107), and patients with schizophrenia only (n=119) were followed over a 15-year period through the use of national hospitalization registers, data for time and cause of death, and data for homelessness or institutionalization. RESULTS: The median length of psychiatric hospitalization was 12days for a patient with dual diagnosis, and 21days for patients with schizophrenia only. Patients with dual diagnosis displayed a significantly elevated usage of all types of hospital contacts except inpatient treatment for non-psychiatric disorders. In three types of hospital contacts, patients with co-occurring substance use had approximately two to three times as many hospitalizations as did patients with schizophrenia only. Rates for homelessness and institutionalization were similar in both groups. Patients with a dual diagnosis were also significantly more at risk of dying during follow-up than were patients with schizophrenia only. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the long-term course of schizophrenia is considerably more severe in patients who have a dual diagnosis compared to patients with schizophrenia only Substance use disorders have a substantial impact on the hospitalization rates of patients with schizophrenia, as well as on life expectancy. Patients with co-morbid substance abuse are more likely to be admitted for treatment during a given year although they have briefer contact with treatment.
AB - BACKGROUND: This follow-up study compared patients with schizophrenia with co-occurring substance use disorder to patients with schizophrenia and no substance use disorder. AIMS: To investigate the prognostic significance of the effects of substance use disorders on the course of schizophrenia. METHOD: Patients with schizophrenia and co-occurring substance use disorder (n=107), and patients with schizophrenia only (n=119) were followed over a 15-year period through the use of national hospitalization registers, data for time and cause of death, and data for homelessness or institutionalization. RESULTS: The median length of psychiatric hospitalization was 12days for a patient with dual diagnosis, and 21days for patients with schizophrenia only. Patients with dual diagnosis displayed a significantly elevated usage of all types of hospital contacts except inpatient treatment for non-psychiatric disorders. In three types of hospital contacts, patients with co-occurring substance use had approximately two to three times as many hospitalizations as did patients with schizophrenia only. Rates for homelessness and institutionalization were similar in both groups. Patients with a dual diagnosis were also significantly more at risk of dying during follow-up than were patients with schizophrenia only. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the long-term course of schizophrenia is considerably more severe in patients who have a dual diagnosis compared to patients with schizophrenia only Substance use disorders have a substantial impact on the hospitalization rates of patients with schizophrenia, as well as on life expectancy. Patients with co-morbid substance abuse are more likely to be admitted for treatment during a given year although they have briefer contact with treatment.
U2 - 10.1016/j.schres.2011.04.011
DO - 10.1016/j.schres.2011.04.011
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 21592731
SN - 1573-2509
VL - 130
SP - 228
EP - 233
JO - Schizophrenia Research
JF - Schizophrenia Research
IS - 1-3
ER -