DRUG-ABUSE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA - COMPARISON OF PATIENTS WHO BEGAN DRUG-ABUSE BEFORE THEIR FIRST ADMISSION WITH THOSE WHO BEGAN ABUSING DRUGS AFTER THEIR FIRST ADMISSION

The relationship between the onset of drug abuse and onset of illness (first hospitalisation) and its correlates were examined in 42 hospita lised schizophrenics identified as drug abusers. 60% of the patients b egan drug use before their first hospitalisation. No differences on so ciodemographic or clinical parameters between patients who began drug use before their first hospitalisation and those who began after it we re detected when drug abuse was treated as a unitary phenomenon. Use o f specific drugs was associated with significant differences in age, a ge at first hospitalisation, premorbid functioning and type of schizop hrenia between patients who began drug pre-morbidly and those who bega n to use drugs post-morbidly. The differences were not uniform for the different drugs used. The findings are discussed in relation to vulne rability and self medication models of comorbidity of drug abuse and s chizophrenia.