Prevelance of drug addiction among psychiatric out patients

الملخص EN

Background : Drug addiction is a common problem all over the world including countries in the Middle East.

In kaq, the size of this problem is not known due to the lack of epidemiological studies but there is consensus among expefts that the problem is there and that it is growing.

Aim of study: To find the prevalence of drug dependence among psych iatric out patients.

Patients and methods : All psychiatric inpatients in the psychiatric unit of Nassiriya General Hospital during a period of 6 months were interviewed about the presence of drug dependence, those who where find to be drug dependent were asked to fill 'a questionnaire and were further interviewed.

Some data were taken from the case records of patients.

Res'utfs : 'II %o of Inpatients were drug addict, all were males.

Abuse'b'l alcohol and tobacco smoking were high Ircng drug dependants, TIVo were Ising injectable drugs.

Comorbidity with othei psychiatric disorders was 100 %.

Conclusion : Drug addiction was recognized among psychiatric out patients, most cases were not reported to the treating doctors, which further complicate the picture about the size of the problem of drug dependence.