In this study, people with a psychotic disorder were less likely than other groups to be drinkers, and if they did drink, were less likely to be heavy drinkers. However there will be a separate survey of people with psychosis, as the sample in the main survey was too small for further analysis. Other UK research into the prevalence of these problems is scanty. The Maudsley Continuing Care Study s dual diagnosis project at the Institute of Psychiatry interviewed nearly 200 clients of local community mental health teams, most diagnosed with schizophrenia. It found just under a third of those interviewed have problems related to alcohol or street drugs.
Young men are particularly likely to misuse drugs or alcohol.
People with alcohol or drug problems have spent substantially more time in hospital than those without. As these findings suggest, there is a complex relation between different kinds of mental illness and problem drinking. Careful assessment over a period of time which includes at least six weeks abstinence is needed to distinguish apparent mental health problems which are really the effects of the drinking problem from clinically recognisable psychiatric conditions. Alcohol s role in some of these conditions is examined below. Anxiety, depression and alcohol Almost all drinkers seeking help report some symptoms of anxiety and depression.