Citation

Caton CL, Hasin DS, Shrout PE, Drake RE, Dominguez B, First MB, Samet S, Schanzer B. Br. J. Psychiatry 2007; 190: 105-111.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York 10032, USA. clc3@columbia.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Royal College of Psychiatry)

DOI

10.1192/bjp.bp.105.015784

PMID

17267925

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The stability of the diagnostic distinction between a substance-induced psychosis and a primary psychotic disorder co-occurring with substance use is not established. AIMS: To describe DSM-IV diagnostic changes over 1 year and determine the predictive validity of baseline indicators of the substance-induced psychosis v. primary psychosis distinction. METHOD: We conducted a 1-year follow-up study of 319 psychiatric emergency department admissions with diagnoses of early-phase psychosis and substance use comorbidity. RESULTS: Of those with a baseline DSM-IV diagnosis of substance-induced psychosis, 25% had a diagnosis of primary psychosis at follow-up. These patients had poorer premorbid functioning, less insight into psychosis and greater family mental illness than patients with a stable diagnosis of substance-induced psychosis. Reclassifying change cases to primary psychoses on follow-up, key baseline predictors of the primary/substance-induced distinction at 1 year also included greater family history of mental illness in the primary psychosis group. CONCLUSIONS: Further study of substance-induced psychoses should employ neuroscientific and behavioural approaches. Study findings can guide more accurate diagnoses at first treatment.

Language: en