A cross-sectional study of 1,551 clients receiving care in ten
community-based rural mental health care systems assessed problem behaviors
and psychiatric symptoms among three groups of severely mentally ill
clients: those with a current substance abuse problem, those with a history
of substance abuse but no current problem, and those with no history of
substance abuse problems. Clients with a current substance abuse problem
were younger than clients who had no history of such problems and had more
symptoms of anger, more trouble with the law, and more suicidal threats
than clients in the other two groups.
Abstract Teaser