Jacopo V Bizzarri1, Valentina Casetti2, Patrizia Panzani3, Juliane Unterhauser3, Stefania Mulas2, Antonio Fanolla4, Claudia Zitelli2, Alessandro Briani2, Giancarlo Giupponi2, Icro Maremmani5, Andreas Conca2. 1. Department of Psychiatry, Hospital of Bolzano, via Bohler 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy. Electronic address: jacopo.bizzarri@sabes.it. 2. Department of Psychiatry, Hospital of Bolzano, via Bohler 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy. 3. Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centre, via Del Ronco 3, 39100 Bolzano, Italy. 4. Epidemiologic Observatory, via Canonico Gamper 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy. 5. Vincent P. Dole Dual Diagnosis Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Santa Chiara University Hospital, via Roma 67, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Mental disorders are associated with an increased prevalence of substance use disorders (SUDs). Despite this comorbidity being firmly established, alcohol and nicotine risky use and misuse are not routinely and systematically assessed in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence of risky use of alcohol, alcohol use disorder (AUD), smoking, and nicotine use disorder in people with psychiatric diagnoses and their association with age, gender, and occupational functioning. METHOD: Participants were 210 patients from an inpatient psychiatric ward. Three self-reporting questionnaires were used: the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the Lübeck Alcoholism Screening Test (LAST), and the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). RESULTS: Risky alcohol use or AUD was found in more than one third of patients and was more common in males than in females (p<0.01) and in young people as compared to older adults (p=0.04). Current nicotine consumption concerned over a half participants and was significantly associated with risky alcohol use and AUD (p<0.01). Patients with current SUD had the highest prevalence of both smoking (80%) and alcohol misuse (80%). Low occupational functioning was associated with both alcohol use (p=0.02) and concurrent alcohol and SUDs (p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Both alcohol and nicotine risky use and misuse are highly prevalent in people with psychiatric disorders and their concurrent abuse is common. The simultaneous use of different screening questionnaires allows the identification not only of people with frank use disorders, but also those with harmful use, facilitating early detection of people at risk.
BACKGROUND:Mental disorders are associated with an increased prevalence of substance use disorders (SUDs). Despite this comorbidity being firmly established, alcohol and nicotine risky use and misuse are not routinely and systematically assessed in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence of risky use of alcohol, alcohol use disorder (AUD), smoking, and nicotine use disorder in people with psychiatric diagnoses and their association with age, gender, and occupational functioning. METHOD:Participants were 210 patients from an inpatient psychiatric ward. Three self-reporting questionnaires were used: the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the Lübeck Alcoholism Screening Test (LAST), and the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). RESULTS: Risky alcohol use or AUD was found in more than one third of patients and was more common in males than in females (p<0.01) and in young people as compared to older adults (p=0.04). Current nicotine consumption concerned over a half participants and was significantly associated with risky alcohol use and AUD (p<0.01). Patients with current SUD had the highest prevalence of both smoking (80%) and alcohol misuse (80%). Low occupational functioning was associated with both alcohol use (p=0.02) and concurrent alcohol and SUDs (p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Both alcohol and nicotine risky use and misuse are highly prevalent in people with psychiatric disorders and their concurrent abuse is common. The simultaneous use of different screening questionnaires allows the identification not only of people with frank use disorders, but also those with harmful use, facilitating early detection of people at risk.