Depression; prevalence in patients presenting with alcohol and drug addiction

ABSTRACT

Prevalence of Depression in patients presenting with Alcohol and Drug addiction. The study was conducted in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Bahawal Victoria Hospital and Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur from March, 2009 to May, 2009. The sample consisted of 50 in-patients [Male 46, Female 4] with Alcohol and Drug addiction. They were interviewed and results were analysed from the entries in a Performa and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Majority of the patients were male [92%], age group majority [74%] were between 21-40 years. Depression was found in 23[46%] patients, 14[28%] had severe depression and 9[18%] had mild to moderate depression. Significant numbers of patients of alcohol and drug addiction have depression as co-morbidity, which can have important implications in the aetiology and prognosis. So every patient seeking treatment for alcohol and drug addiction should be assessed for depression and we should develop a protocol to treat depression in these patients