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Associations between polysubstance use and psychiatric problems in a criminal justice population in Sweden.

Håkansson, Anders C LU ; Schlyter, F and Berglund, Mats LU (2011) In Drug and Alcohol Dependence 118(1). p.5-11
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Polysubstance use is common in substance users, and may complicate their clinical course. This study, in a criminal justice setting in Sweden, examines the association between the number of concurrently used substance types and psychiatric symptoms during 30 days before incarceration, while controlling for background variables such as family history (drug and alcohol problems, psychiatric problems, criminality), demographic data and history of emotional, physical or sexual abuse. METHODS: The data material comprised 5659 criminal justice clients reporting a substance use problem, examined with the Addiction Severity Index. Variables were compared in a multinomial regression analysis, comparing clients reporting one (n=1877),... (More)
BACKGROUND: Polysubstance use is common in substance users, and may complicate their clinical course. This study, in a criminal justice setting in Sweden, examines the association between the number of concurrently used substance types and psychiatric symptoms during 30 days before incarceration, while controlling for background variables such as family history (drug and alcohol problems, psychiatric problems, criminality), demographic data and history of emotional, physical or sexual abuse. METHODS: The data material comprised 5659 criminal justice clients reporting a substance use problem, examined with the Addiction Severity Index. Variables were compared in a multinomial regression analysis, comparing clients reporting one (n=1877), two (n=1408), three (n=956), four (n=443) and five or more (n=167) substance types. RESULTS: The 30-day prevalence of most psychiatric symptoms included in the study (depression, anxiety, cognitive problems, hallucinations, difficulty controlling violent behaviour, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts) was higher in individuals with a higher number of concurrent substance types used. In multinomial regression analysis, while controlling for background variables, these associations remained for concurrent suicidal ideation, cognitive problems, hallucinations and violent behaviour, with the latter two being associated with the higher numbers of substance types. Binge alcohol drinking, tranquilizers, opioids and the number of substance types reported were associated with several of the psychiatric symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: In the present criminal justice setting in Sweden, the use of multiple substance types and concurrent psychiatric symptoms appear to be associated, and a sub-group reporting particularly high numbers of concurrent substance types are particularly likely to report potentially severe psychiatric problems. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
volume
118
issue
1
pages
5 - 11
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000295394200002
  • pmid:21419580
  • pmid:21419580
  • scopus:80052297350
ISSN
1879-0046
DOI
10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.02.014
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
65b0bfff-9e4b-488d-86d7-42a536019ac0 (old id 1883727)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21419580?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 08:54:28
date last changed
2022-04-23 18:20:37
@article{65b0bfff-9e4b-488d-86d7-42a536019ac0,
  abstract     = {{BACKGROUND: Polysubstance use is common in substance users, and may complicate their clinical course. This study, in a criminal justice setting in Sweden, examines the association between the number of concurrently used substance types and psychiatric symptoms during 30 days before incarceration, while controlling for background variables such as family history (drug and alcohol problems, psychiatric problems, criminality), demographic data and history of emotional, physical or sexual abuse. METHODS: The data material comprised 5659 criminal justice clients reporting a substance use problem, examined with the Addiction Severity Index. Variables were compared in a multinomial regression analysis, comparing clients reporting one (n=1877), two (n=1408), three (n=956), four (n=443) and five or more (n=167) substance types. RESULTS: The 30-day prevalence of most psychiatric symptoms included in the study (depression, anxiety, cognitive problems, hallucinations, difficulty controlling violent behaviour, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts) was higher in individuals with a higher number of concurrent substance types used. In multinomial regression analysis, while controlling for background variables, these associations remained for concurrent suicidal ideation, cognitive problems, hallucinations and violent behaviour, with the latter two being associated with the higher numbers of substance types. Binge alcohol drinking, tranquilizers, opioids and the number of substance types reported were associated with several of the psychiatric symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: In the present criminal justice setting in Sweden, the use of multiple substance types and concurrent psychiatric symptoms appear to be associated, and a sub-group reporting particularly high numbers of concurrent substance types are particularly likely to report potentially severe psychiatric problems.}},
  author       = {{Håkansson, Anders C and Schlyter, F and Berglund, Mats}},
  issn         = {{1879-0046}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{5--11}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Drug and Alcohol Dependence}},
  title        = {{Associations between polysubstance use and psychiatric problems in a criminal justice population in Sweden.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.02.014}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.02.014}},
  volume       = {{118}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}