ABSTRACT
Substance use disorders occur at higher than expected frequency among individuals with almost all other psychiatric disorders. This has been observed consistently both in large epidemiological surveys and in clinically ascertained samples (1-3). Particularly prevalent combinations are alcohol and drug dependence with affective disorder, alcohol and drug dependence with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) among males, alcohol dependence with anxiety disorders among women, and schizophrenia with nicotine dependence (2,4-6). Comorbidity affects treatment, clinical course, medical sequelae, and prognosis (7,8). In general, the combination of substance dependence and a psychiatric disorder is considered particularly difficult to treat, and many medical centers have established teams that specialize in the treatment of dually diagnosed individuals.
