Differences between patients with schizophrenia with and without co-occurring methamphetamine use disorders in a taiwanese public psychiatric hospital

摘要

This study aimed to examine the factors related to and the outcomes of schizophrenic patients with co-occurring methamphetamine use disorders (MUDs). All schizophrenic patients discharged from a psychiatric hospital between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2006, were monitored. This study compared the important demographic and clinical variables between patients with co-occurring MUDs and those without, and postdischarge measured time to rehospitalization during a 1-year period. Seven hundred fifty-six patients were included in this study. Of these patients, 88 (11.6%) reported the use of methamphetamine. Univariate analyses indicated that male sex, low educational level, discharge against medical advice, missed first appointment after discharge, cooccurring other illicit substance use disorder, age (younger), diazepam equivalents prescribed at discharge (higher), number of previous admissions within the past 5 years (higher), and length of hospital stay (longer) were predictive of patients with co-occurring MUDs. Therewere also significant differences in time to rehospitalization between these two groups during the follow-up periods. Many factors can be identified in schizophrenic patients with co-occurring MUDs. Furthermore, schizophrenic patientswith co-occurringMUDswere more likely to be rehospitalized. Future studies inmany different mental health systems are needed before these findings can be generalized.