
Rates of alcohol, tobacco and drug use are higher among those who have psychotic disorders than among those in the general population, finds study.
The study is published online in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.
The finding is of particular concern because individuals with severe mental illness are more likely to die younger than people without severe psychiatric disorders.
The study analyzed smoking, drinking and drug use in nearly 20,000 people. That included 9,142 psychiatric patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder — an illness characterized by psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, and mood disorders such as depression.
The investigators also assessed nicotine use, heavy drinking, heavy marijuana use and recreational drug use in more than 10,000 healthy people without mental illness.
Source: Eurekalert