Mental health in people with substance use disorder: differential aspects between men and women

Abstract: The aim of this study is to present the psychopathological profile and differences between men and women who begin additional residential treatment for addiction. The sample included 142 patients (116 men and 26 women). We analysed socio-demographic variables, substance use pattern as well as personality disorders and clinical syndromes using EuropASI and MCMI-III as evaluating instruments. The male group showed a high prevalence of antisocial personality disorder (31%). However, women did so in depressive (23.1%), dependent (26.9%) and antisocial (26.9%) patterns, finding statistically significant differences only for dependent disorder. For clinical syndromes, men showed relevant prevalence substance dependence was analysed (86.2%), anxiety disorder (60.3%) alcohol dependence (45.7%), while the women´s group showed prevalence for anxiety disorder (76.9%), alcohol dependence (69.2%), substances (53.8%) and dysthymic (46.2%). We found statistically significant differences in anxiety disorder, dysthymic and alcohol dependence where women appeared more affected. Men showed higher scores for thought disorder, and women for depression, both differences being statistically significant. Results are discussed and their clinical implications analyzed.