Text adapted in 2021 from The Fundamentals of Addiction in The Primary Care Addiction Toolkit (online only). A complete list of Toolkit authors, editors and contributors is available here.
Please note: Concurrent Disorders are also known in Canada as Co-Occuring Disorders.
Relationship Between Mental Health and Substance Use Problems
- Mental health and substance use problems interact in various ways:
- Alcohol and other drugs are effective short-term anxiolytics and are often used to self-medicate symptoms of anxiety.
- People with alcohol or other drug problems often attribute withdrawal symptoms to anxiety.
- Alcohol and other drugs tend to exacerbate co-existing primary psychiatric disorders. For example, cannabis worsens symptoms of schizophrenia and can precipitate a psychotic episode.
- Alcohol is often responsible for depressive symptoms (alcohol-induced mood disorder) in people with alcohol dependence.
- All of the major drugs can cause substance-induced psychiatric disorders, particularly mood and anxiety disorders.
- People with primary psychiatric disorders can develop substance-induced disorders. For example, someone with an anxiety disorder can develop alcohol-induced depression.
- Substance use can interfere with treatment of the primary psychiatric disorder in various ways:
- People who use substances are less likely to adhere to psychiatric pharmacotherapy.
- Substances may interact with psychiatric medications.
- Substance use can contribute to behavioural problems and interpersonal difficulties.
Concurrent Disorders
A co-existing substance use disorder and primary psychiatric disorder is known as a concurrent disorder.
Given the high rates of co-occurring mental health and substance use problems, all patients presenting with a mood, anxiety or psychotic disorder should be screened for substance use, and all patients with a substance use disorder should be screened for depression, anxiety, psychosis and a history of trauma.
Substance-Induced Psychiatric Disorders
A psychiatric disorder is more likely to be substance-induced if:
- the psychiatric symptoms developed during or within a month of substance intoxication or withdrawal
- the substance used is known to cause symptoms of anxiety, depression or psychosis
- the symptoms resolve with abstinence
- the symptoms cannot be better explained by a disorder that is not substance induced.
Table 1: Clinical Features of Primary and Substance Use Disorders
|
Clinical Features |
Primary |
Substance-Induced |
|---|---|---|
|
Onset of symptoms precedes substance use |
Possibly |
No |
|
Use is heavy or often enough to explain symptoms |
Often not |
Yes |
|
Symptoms resolve with abstinence |
No |
Yes, within days to months |
|
Patient uses substances for symptom control |
Often |
Possibly |
Suicide Risk with Co-occurring Disorders
People with substance-induced disorders have a higher risk for suicide, particularly during acute intoxication and withdrawal. These patients should be carefully assessed, observed and, if necessary, admitted to hospital.
Often a patient's mental state improves within 24 to 48 hours of abstinence, which helps to distinguish between substance-induced symptoms and primary psychiatric problems.
Antidepressants and intensive treatment for substance dependence should be initiated in patients with concurrent depression.
In Fundamentals of Addiction: