Subject(s)
Coronavirus , Betacoronavirus , COVID-19 , China , Coronavirus Infections , Humans , Life Style , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Few studies of comorbidity among cocaine users have been undertaken in Brazil, despite the fact that cocaine is one of the most commonly used illegal drugs in the country. The aim of this paper is to review existing data on psychiatric evaluations of cocaine users, and present data from two studies that have addressed this issue as it pertains to the Brazilian public health system. STUDY DESIGN: Review and results from two studies (cross-sectional and matched control). METHODS: The Brazilian literature on PubMed, Lilacs, Psychinfo and DATASUS was searched using the key words: 'psychiatric symptoms', 'diagnosis', 'evaluation', 'assessment', 'cocaine disorders' and others related to this issue. Intake data from two studies of male and female cocaine users were also analysed with regard to psychiatric symptoms as measured by the Symptom Check List - 90 Revised (SCL-90). RESULTS: The literature review found no specific studies regarding psychiatric evaluation of cocaine users in Brazil. Analyses from the two studies presented showed high levels of psychiatric symptoms in this population. In the first study, psychiatric symptoms were measured at treatment entry and their prevalence was high, ranging from 27.4% to 53.4%. In the second study, SCL-90R scores at programme admission were higher in cocaine users than normal controls, with effect sizes ranging from moderate to high. CONCLUSIONS: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first article to discuss psychiatric evaluations of comorbidity among cocaine users in Brazil. The results indicate a need to: pay more attention to the evaluation of psychiatric symptoms in cocaine users; emphasize the importance of standardized data collection in this area; and evaluate the course of these symptoms, their impact on outcome, and how they are best addressed in treatment.
Subject(s)
Cocaine/adverse effects , Mental Disorders/etiology , Public Health/statistics & numerical data , Substance-Related Disorders/diagnosis , Adolescent , Adult , Brazil/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Mental Disorders/epidemiology , Mental Disorders/psychology , Middle Aged , Psychological Tests , Psychometrics , Risk Factors , Substance-Related Disorders/complications , Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology , Substance-Related Disorders/psychology , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate criterion convergent and discriminant validity of the World Health Organization Instrument (WHOQoL-BREF) in evaluating quality of life and to verify its convergent validity with the Medical Outcomes study Short-forms (SF-36) and the Symptom Check List (SCL-90) instruments in male alcohol dependent patients who seek treatment at two Brazilian treatment centers. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed, in which cases were divided in to two groups according to the severity of alcohol dependence, ascertained by the Short Form Alcohol Dependence Data scale (SADD). RESULTS: The sample was comprised of 36 males, and 63.9% had severe dependence. Subjects with low/moderate dependence showed higher scores in all domains of the WHOQoL-BREF and in nearly all domains of the SF-36. Criterion validity and internal consistency in the WHOQoL-BREF were satisfactory. With regard to convergent validity between the WHOQoL-BREF and SF-36, most correlation coefficients were significant. CONCLUSIONS: The WHOQoL instrument proved to be satisfactory for evaluating quality of life in this sample.
