Prevalenţa şi consecinţele consumului de alcool în schizofrenie

Abstract

The objectives of this study are: to estimate the prevalence of alcoholic co-morbidity in in-patients with schizophrenia and to analyse, at these patients, the influence of alcohol use upon the evolution of symptoms of schizophrenia, the relapses, the reasons which require (re)hospitalization and the length of hospitalization. Method: This study is based on a retrospective investigation of 525 inpatients, with ages between 18 and 64 years, with schizophrenia, hospitalized at Clinical Psychiatric Hospital “Prof.Dr.Al.Obregia”, Bucharest, between 01.01.2007-31.12.2007. The information about symptoms and alcohol use was collected from medical reports. This study is longitudinal, retrospective, observational, and descriptive. Results: The prevalence of alcohol co-morbidity in in-patients with schizophrenia was 8.9% (47 patients). The use of alcohol is related to the previous year of hospitalization (it’s not lifetime prevalence of alcohol). Alcoholic co-morbidity is underdiagnosed because the patients and their families minimize or decline the use of alcohol. The most frequent reason for hospitalization – as psychiatric emergency – of the patients with schizophrenia users of alcohol (in comparison those who don’t use alcohol) were: psychomotor agitation (91.94%) with or without aggressive behaviour, attempts of suicide (25.53%), the exacerbation of positive symptoms. We also mention an increase in the average length of hospitalization (47.98 days) and the number of rehospitalizations.