DEPRESSION;

PREVALENCE IN PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDICTION

Abstract

Objective: Prevalence of Depression in patients presenting with Alcohol and Drug addiction. Place & duration of study: The
study was conducted in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Sciences, Bahawal Victoria Hospital & Quaid-e-Azam Medical College,
Bahawalpur from March, 2009 to May, 2009. Subjects & methods: The sample consisted of 50 in-patients (Male 46, Female 4) with Alcohol &
Drug addiction. They were interviewed and results were analysed from the entries in a Performa and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression.
Results: 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. Conclusions: 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.