Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To examine whether self-medication with drugs confers risk of comorbid mood and drug use disorders.
METHOD
A longitudinal, nationally representative survey was conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) assessed DSM-IV-TR psychiatric disorders, self-medication, and sociodemographic variables at 2 time points. A total of 34,653 adult, US participants completed both waves of the survey. Wave 1 was conducted between 2001 and 2002, and Wave 2 interviews took place 3 years later (2004-2005). Logistic regression and population attributable fractions were calculated to obtain estimates of the association between self-medication and incident disorders.
RESULTS
Logistic regression analyses revealed that self-medication with drugs conferred a heightened risk of new-onset drug dependence among those with baseline mood disorders (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 7.65; 95% CI, 3.70-15.82; P < .001) and accounted for over 25% of incident drug dependence disorders among people with mood disorders. Among those with comorbid mood and drug use disorders at baseline, self-medication with drugs was associated with the persistence of drug abuse (AOR = 2.47; 95% CI, 1.34-4.56; P < .01), accounting for over one-fifth of the persistence of drug use disorders at 3-year follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS
Self-medication with drugs among individuals with mood disorders confers substantial risk of developing incident drug dependence and is associated with the persistence of comorbid mood and drug use disorders. These results clarify a pathway that may lead to the development of mood and drug use disorder comorbidity and indicate an at-risk population, with potential points of intervention for prevention of comorbidity.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Lazareck S, Robinson JA, Crum RM, Mojtabai R, Sareen J, Bolton JM

Institution

Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Source

The Journal of clinical psychiatry 73:5 2012 May pg e588-93

MeSH

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Comorbidity
Female
Humans
Incidence
Logistic Models
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Middle Aged
Mood Disorders
Multivariate Analysis
Risk Factors
Self Medication
Substance-Related Disorders
United States

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

22697205