High Rate of Comorbid Mental Health Disorders Seen in Schizophrenia

TUESDAY, Oct. 8, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders have high rates of comorbid mental health and substance use disorders, according to a study published online Sept. 23 in Psychiatric Services.

Natalie Bareis, Ph.D., from the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, and colleagues used data from the U.S. Mental and Substance Use Disorders Prevalence Study to examine treatment and clinical characteristics of U.S. adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Sociodemographic characteristics and comorbid behavioral health conditions were compared for 4,764 adults with or without schizophrenia disorders.

The most common comorbid conditions among 114 adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders were major depressive episode (52 percent) and alcohol use, cannabis use, and posttraumatic stress disorders (23, 20, and 17 percent, respectively). The researchers found that among people with versus without schizophrenia spectrum disorders, Global Assessment of Functioning scores were lower (mean, 44.8 ± 2.0 versus 77.2 ± 0.5), indicating worse functioning. Seventy-one percent of adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders received at least some mental health treatment in the past year, and 26 percent received minimally adequate treatment.

“These findings further suggest that existing treatment and social welfare approaches are not meeting the needs of many people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders,” the authors write.

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