THE INFLUENCE OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE UPON DEVIANT BEHAVIOUR IN SCHIZOPHRENIA
Abstract:
The present study aimed at examining the relationships between predictors and risk factors in the evolution of this “dual disorder”: schizophrenia/addiction and deviant behaviour. Materials and methods. In the study, there were included 60 patients of the “Am Waldsee” Clinic, Rieden, Germany, diagnosed with schizophrenia and addiction, and 67 patients with schizophrenia but without addiction hospitalized in the psychiatric ward of the “Gavril Curteanu” Municipal Hospital, Oradea. For each of the patient a record of study was compiled that included, in addition to demographic data, data on drug use and violent manifestations of impulsive and compulsive behaviour. Results and conclusions. The addictive component seems to have a causal aspect towards violence, the number of aggressive behaviour in patients with schizophrenia and drug use being almost double than within the control group. The violence resulted in damages, especially material ones (58.33% and 29.85%), followed by slight body injury (20.00%, and 16.42%). The risk of violent behaviour is 1.7 times greater in schizophrenic patients with a history of drug abuse than in those who have not used drugs, while the risk is almost 3 times greater in women and 1.3 times greater in men. The risk of violent behaviour under the age of 30 is more than 3 times greater for drug users than for those who have not used drugs and 1.4. times greater in drug consumers.
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