Psychiatric and substance-use comorbidities associated with lifetime crack cocaine use in young adults in the general population

• Published in: Comprehensive psychiatry 2014-08, Vol.55 (6), p.1369-1376
• Main Authors: Narvaez, Joana C.M, Jansen, Karen, Pinheiro, Ricardo T, Kapczinski, Flávio, Silva, Ricardo A, Pechansky, Flávio, Magalhães, Pedro V
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Amphetamines; Antisocial personality disorder; Antisocial Personality Disorder - epidemiology; Anxiety Disorders - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Brazil - epidemiology; Cocaine; Cocaine-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Cocaine-Related Disorders - psychology; Comorbidity; Crack Cocaine; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression - epidemiology; Drug addiction; Dysthymic Disorder - epidemiology; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Panic Disorder - epidemiology; Phobic Disorders - epidemiology; Population; Post traumatic stress disorder; Prevalence; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Self Report; Socioeconomic factors; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology; Studies; Substance abuse treatment; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Substance-Related Disorders - psychology; Suicidal Ideation; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0010-440X; 1532-8384
• DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2014.04.021

Abstract Objective To assess the association between lifetime crack cocaine use and psychiatric (post-traumatic stress disorder, current depression, current dysthymia, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder with agoraphobia, social phobia, as well as SRQ scores and suicide risk) and substance-use disorders (tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine, inhalants, sedatives, hallucinogens and opioids) in youth in the general population of the city of Pelotas, RS. Method This was a cross-sectional population-based study, involving 1560 participants between 18 and 24 years old. Lifetime substance use and abuse were investigated using the ASSIST inventory. Psychiatric comorbidities were assessed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview and symptoms of common mental disorders were evaluated with the Self-Reported Questionnaire (SRQ). Results The prevalence of lifetime crack cocaine use in the sample was 2.5%. Its use was associated with total SRW scores and the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder, antisocial personality disorder and suicide risk in the final regression model. Tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine and cocaine dependence were also associated with lifetime use of crack cocaine. Discussion Youth with a history of crack cocaine use had a higher prevalence of psychiatric conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as an increased risk of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine and inhalant use and dependence.