Addiction medicine

About: Addiction medicine is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1070 publications have been published within this topic receiving 23685 citations.

Dépressions sévères et addictions Severe depression and addictions

Abstract: Addictive co-morbidities (or co-occurrent disorder, double diagnosis, associated diagnosis) associated with depression are diagnoses which must be made independently and not only seen as a cluster as symptoms of the disorder or as disorders induced by taking the toxin. The association of an addictive disorder with depression raises a prognostic problem as this association results not only in mutual worsening of the two disorders but in a further problem of penalising access to care with an important sub-diagnosis. This is a common association ; however as 30 to 50 % of patients admitted to psychiatric units in Europe have a mental disorder combined with substance abuse (alcohol, sedatives, cannabis). In this article we describe the different findings reported in the literature showing how this association is strong and may have consequences in terms of delayed diagnosis and prognostic and therapeutic impact. We also show that regardless of the origin of the association (attempted self-medication, addiction-induced depression, consequence of depression or a fortuitous association), dual psychiatric and addiction medicine practice is always justified even if this is frequently complex because of the ways in which the different facilities available to us operate in isolation.

Addiction medicine ethics: relapse, no lapse and the struggle to treat addicts like everyone else.

Abstract: Two case studies are presented as a focus for discussion of ethics in addiction medicine. The first is that of the alcohol-dependent patient who receives a liver transplant. The second is that of a heroin-dependent patient who continues to inject himself while in a general medical ward. I make some comments about the obligations of doctors to treat those who cause harm to themselves as they would treat those who are 'not responsible'.

Primary Addictive Substances Used among Patients Treated in a Hospital-Based Addiction Medicine Service.

Abstract: INTRODUCTION This study sought to explore the differences in primary addictive substances used among individuals referred to an ambulatory hospital-based addiction service in Israel according to sex, age and source of referral. METHOD Data were drawn from all referral forms received during a two-year period (N=140). Categories of primary addictive substances included alcohol, drugs (cannabis, synthetic cannabinoids, illicit stimulants and heroin) and medications (prescription opioids, prescription stimulants and benzodiazepines). Sources of referral included physicians, non-medical health professionals and self-referral. RESULTS Among individuals referred to treatment, the most frequent categories of addictive substances were drugs (39%), followed by medications (38%) and alcohol (23%). Among those referred by a physician, the most common category of addictive substances was medications (45%), whereas among those referred by non-medical health professionals the most common category was drugs (61%). Significant (p<0.05) sex differences were found in primary addictive substances: men most commonly reported using drugs while women most commonly reported using medications. Individuals seeking treatment for drug use disorders were significantly younger (mean age = 34.3±12.4) than those seeking treatment for alcohol or prescription-medication use disorders (41.2±13.4 and 43.6±13.5, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Age, sex and source of referral should be taken into consideration when screening for primary addictive substances.