[Medical treatment of psychiatric disorders in alcoholics].

PURPOSE

Epidemiological studies show that alcoholics have a high life-time prevalence of psychiatric illnesses, particularly of anxiety, depressive and schizophrenic disorders. But the complex relationships between elevated alcohol consumption and psychiatric symptomatology frequently Iead to problems in finding diagnosis and thereafter in planning therapeutic strategies.

METHODS

In this article the results of the studies concerning the medical treatment of psychiatric comorbidity of alcoholics are critically reviewed.

RESULTS

According to the available results a therapy with antidepressive drugs indicated in alcoholics with depression lasting over 14 days. Anxiety disorders seem to have little influence on the course of alcoholism. Thus, an anxiolytic medication has to be considered carefully in view of the addiction potency of tranquilizers. There is a paucity of data concerning drug treatment of schizophrenics with alcohol abuse. Thus far only a few studies have shown an effect of a drug treatment of the psychiatric comorbidity on the drinking behavior.

CONCLUSION

There is a lack of studies on specific treatment strategies of psychiatric comorbid alcoholics, particularly of schizophrenics with alcohol abuse.