DRUGS PSYCHOSIS HAS DOUBLED

DRUG-RELATED admissions to Ireland's psychiatric hospitals have more
than doubled since 1990, according to a new report on psychiatric
services.

While approximately 105 patients were admitted to psychiatric
hospitals with drug-related disorders 16 years ago, this had
increased to more than 294 in 2001. The stabilisation of admissions
since has been credited to an increase in the community services that
treat drug addiction.

"It's simply mirroring what's going on in the community," said Dermot
Walsh, one of the authors of Activities of Irish Psychiatric Services
2004, published by the Health Research Board. "There's been an
increase in illegal drug use."

Although the study offers no breakdown of what drugs are being used
by those admitted to psychiatric hospitals, Jean Long, a senior
researcher in HRB, believes that they are similar to those found by
community services.

"The most common drug-related problem, after alcohol, is cannabis,
then opiates, then probably cocaine," she said. "Cannabis and opiates
would be by far the most common."

Siobhan Barry, clinical director at the Cluain Mhuire drug addiction
treatment centre, agrees that cannabis is the most prevalent drug
among admission cases. "Cannabis use increases the likelihood in
certain people of having a psychotic episode," she said. "People who
are already vulnerable to psychosis will have it triggered off by
cannabis. People with a mental health problem are also more likely to
seek solace in cannabis."

Barry said a study in 1997 showed that 40% of mostly young people who
suffered their first psychotic episode had used cannabis in the days
before the breakdown.

An increase in community services means that psychiatric hospitals
are less likely to deal with addiction-only cases. "There has been
drop in admissions from 2002, a kind of stabilisation," says Long.
"This reflects the increasing number of community services available
to drug users, rather than being inappropriately admitted to hospital."

Although drug-abuse is the primary reason for the admissions in this
study, Long said that there is also a proportion of dual-diagnoses.

"The primary reason for admission, obviously because this is what the
analysis is based on, is drug-related," said Long. "I believe a
number of them do have dual diagnosis - they do have other mental
health problems even though the main problem would be drug-related."

The symptoms of drug-related psychotic episodes depend on the type of
drug, and also if there is interaction with a psychiatric disease.