Alcohol-Induced Psychotic Disorder and Depressive Disorder: A Dual Diagnosis Case Series

Abstract

Alcohol-induced psychotic disorder (AIPD) is a diagnosis in the ICD 10. Previous studies of AIPD do not appear to have reported the co-morbid presence of depressive disorder in either prevalence studies or treatment studies. Five cases are presented with a dual diagnosis of AIPD and depressive disorder. These cases were assessed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Clinical Global Impression Severity score (CGI-S), Clinical Global Impression Improvement score (CGI-I), Drug Attitude Inventory 10 (DAI 10), Short Assessment Personality-Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS) and Modified Sainsbury Tool. Antidepressants and antipsychotics were chosen based on drug attitude scores from DAI 10. Cases demonstrate inpatient and outpatient treatment with good treatment outcomes after six months. Three cases demonstrate suicide risk. The majority did not have a personality disorder. These cases highlight the importance of treating a depressive disorder in AIPD and of tailored medication treatments for poor medication compliance.