Addictive status in neurotic disorders

Abstract

Introduction

At the present stage of psychiatry development, the problem of co-morbidity, which is an important factor determining the effectiveness of treatment. One of such tendencies is the combination of neurotic pathology and addictive behavior (AB).

Objectives

To research AB features in neurotic disorders.

Methodology

One hundred and forty-eight patients with neurotic disorders: neurasthenia (F48.0), dissociative disorder (F44.7), anxiety-phobic disorder (F40.8), according to ICD-10 criteria. Clinical-psychopathological, psychodiagnostic (AUDIT-like tests), statistical methods were used.

Results

It was found out that the patients with neurotic disorders had a high risk of AB formation (59.73%). The most prominent among AB were: the use of psychoactive substances (tea/coffee [11,682], tobacco [8,091], sedatives [6,964], food addiction [14,036]), as well as socio-acceptable AB, such as Internet (13,527), watching television (9,982), computer games (2,909), shopping (7,264), workaholism (15,018). Socio-demographic characteristics of the generation of neurotic disorders with AB were determined: young age (50.46%), AB presence among the surrounding people (91.64%), a short interval of time between the psychogenic factor exposure and the first signs of neurotic disorder (50.46%). The clinical pattern of neurotic disorders with AB was characterized by a predominance of anxiety-obsessive (35.78%), as well as anxiety-phobic (45.95%) syndromes associated with AB: “Shopping” (−0.32; −0.51, respectively), “Sleeping pills, sedatives” (−0.37; −0.42), “Sex” (−0.41; −0.37) and “Tea/coffee” (−0.34; −0.39).

Conclusions

The data obtained determine AB specificity and should be taken into account in pharmaco – and psychotherapy.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.