USE OF POTENTIALLY ABUSIVE PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES IN PSYCHIATRIC-INPATIENTS

A series of 417 consecutively admitted psychiatric inpatients were stu died with regard to their use of potentially abusive psychotropic subs tances in the last 3 months preceding admission. In all patients face- to-face interviews were performed; in 354 of them urine specimens coul d also be tested. Alcohol and benzodiazepines belonged to the most fre quently used substances followed by cannabis, opiates and cocaine. Bar biturates, hallucinogens and amphetamine derivatives were only excepti onally reported. The most important finding of the study is that every fifth patient regularly used ''hard'' drugs (opiates and/or cocaine), every fourth patient illegal drugs and every third patient alcohol. S ubstances were found in 54% of all urine specimens; methadone, opiates and cocaine were hardly found alone. For the latter substances excell ent agreement was found between interview reports and urine exams. Exc luding patients diagnosed as substance-use disorders,there were no sta tistically significant differences between schizophrenic, affective, n eurotic/stress/somatoform and other disorders with regard to the use o f ''hard'' drugs and illegal drugs. Regular substance use correlated w ith much worse psychosocial adjustment. Substance use has to be explor ed and considered in every individual psychiatric inpatient.