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Validity of the Distinction Between “Substance‐Induced” and “Independent” Depression and Anxiety Disorders
Author(s) -
Kadden Ronald M.,
Kranzler Henry R.,
Rounsaville Bruce J.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
the american journal on addictions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.997
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-0391
pISSN - 1055-0496
DOI - 10.1111/j.1521-0391.1995.tb00441.x
Subject(s) - anxiety , medical diagnosis , substance abuse , substance use , depression (economics) , psychiatry , clinical psychology , psychology , comorbidity , nosology , predictive validity , medicine , pathology , economics , macroeconomics
Diagnosis of comorbid psychiatric disorders in substance abuse patients is complicated by the fact that many abused substances induce transient symptoms that mimic independent disorders. The authors applied criteria designed to distinguish “independent” comorbid disorders from those that may have been “substance‐induced,” to determine the impact on rates of diagnosis and on concurrent and predictive validity. Of those with symptoms sufficient to meet criteria for comorbid depression (12%) or anxiety diagnoses (26%), fewer than one‐fourth were considered to have independent disorders, and these patients did not constitute a category of greater severity. Current guidelines for defining independent diagnoses were not supported. Further work is required to identify criteria that will provide a clinically meaningful distinction.