Psychiatric Comorbidity and Emergency Department Use in Substance Use Disorders
Author Information
Author(s): Curran Geoffrey M, Sullivan Greer, Williams Keith, Han Xiaotong, Allee Elise, Kotrla Kathryn J
Primary Institution: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Hypothesis
Psychiatric comorbidity would be associated with more frequent ED use across all substance use diagnostic groups studied.
Conclusion
The study found that patients with substance use disorders and psychiatric comorbidity had significantly more emergency department visits than those without psychiatric comorbidity.
Supporting Evidence
- Patients with SUDs and psychiatric comorbidity had a mean of 5.2 ER visits compared to 2.5 visits for those without.
- The association was strongest among patients with cocaine disorders or alcohol dependence.
- Logistic regression showed adjusted odds ratios of 3.0 to 5.6 for frequent ED use among those with psychiatric comorbidity.
Takeaway
People who have both substance use problems and mental health issues go to the emergency room a lot more than those who only have substance use problems.
Methodology
The study analyzed data from 6,865 patients diagnosed with substance use disorders who visited the emergency department between January 1994 and June 1998.
Potential Biases
The study relied on administrative data, which may have limited variables and potential biases in diagnosis.
Limitations
The data comes from one facility, which may limit generalizability, and the study could not establish causality.
Participant Demographics
The sample was predominantly male (72.9%) and included various ethnicities, with a mean age of 36.9 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
(2.5, 3.4)
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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