CLINICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY OF DYSTHYMIA AND SUBSTANCE DISORDER

The authors sought to determine the 1-year-period prevalence and demog raphic characteristics of comorbid substance-related disorder (SRD) an d dysthymia, as well as the demographic characteristics of SRD-dysthym ia patients as compared with SRD-only patients. Patients being treated at two university medical centers and abstinent less than 2 years wer e followed prospectively for 6 months to establish the diagnosis of dy sthymia. A total of 642 patients were assessed, of whom 39 hand SRD-dy sthymia and 308 had SRD only. Data collection instruments included a d emographic questionnaire and assessment of DSM Axis I psychiatric diag noses. The 1-year prevalence rate was lower than noted in previous stu dies where there were less stringent criteria for dysthymia. The rate of dysthymia among these SRD patients closely resembled that observed in a general population study. SRD-dysthymia patients and SRD-only pat ients did not differ on most demographic characteristics. SRD-dysthymi a is not easily detected among recovering SRD patients because of the need for lengthy observation and the absence of special demographic ch aracteristics.