PSYCHIATRIC COMORBIDITY IN COCAINE DEPENDENCE - DIVERGING TRENDS, AXIS-II SPECTRUM, AND GENDER DIFFERENTIALS

One hundred consecutive admissions to an intensive outpatient cocaine treatment clinic in Camden, NJ, were assigned DSM-III-R Axis I and II psychiatric diagnoses by means of the SCID. Prevalence rates for non-s ubstance-use Axis I disorders were equivalent to expected population b ase rates. By far the most common diagnoses were on Axis II (73% of su bjects), with over one-third of subjects receiving more than one perso nality disorder diagnosis, frequently crossing DSM-III-R ''clusters.'' In the distribution of psychopathology, certain gender differences we re noted. The authors discuss implications for the clinical management and treatment of cocaine-addicted individuals in urban environments.