The determination of substance use and related variables of patients with severe mental disorder

This study was conducted to investigate the frequency of co-occurrence of cigarette, alcohol and other addictive substance use in patients with severe mental disorders and this relationship with various aspects. The descriptive study was conducted with patients in the psychiatry outpatient clinic and inpatient service of a training and research hospital and a university hospital. The sample of the study consisted of 358 patients who met the diagnostic criteria of any of the following: schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Sociodemographic Information Form and Substance Use Characteristics Form were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics and a chi-square test were used to evaluate the data. It was observed that there was a significant difference between other mental disorders, with the highest smoking group being the patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (70.4%) (p<0.05). The rate of smoking is as follows, from highest to lowest, schizophrenia and psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, major depression, anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. There was no significant difference in alcohol and substance use rates of the patients (p>0.05). Among the patients included in the study, it was determined that people who use alcohol and substances have smoking experience and that any substance use is mostly started in the youth years. In order to prevent the use of cigarettes, alcohol and other substances, it is recommended by psychiatric nurses to identify risk factors, to know the patient groups with a high risk of developing substance use disorders, and to give patients effective coping methods along with the treatment, especially patient groups with a high rate of use of these substances. In addition, it is recommended to evaluate the patients with a psychiatric disorder diagnosis in the risk group in order to prevent smoking, which is a stepping stone for the transition to alcohol and other substance use, and to treat existing substance use disorders during or after the treatment of the primary mental illness. Keywords: Psychiatric Nursing, Mental Disorder, Substance Use Disorder