OBJECTIVES: The relation between substance abuse
and symptoms of psychosis as well as related disorders was
evaluated among patients at the Hospital for Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the University of
Marburg. METHODS: Using a child and adolescent version of the
IRAOS (Instrument of the Retrospective Assessment of the Onset
of Schizophrenia, Hafner et al., 1990), all patients with a
co-morbid substance abuse were assessed. Patients with a
drug-induced psychosis (n = 8) were compared to psychotic
patients with co-morbid substance abuse and to patients with
other psychiatric disorders and substance abuse (n = 30).
RESULTS: These three groups could be significantly
distinguished on the basis of pre-morbid symptoms and
pre-morbid functioning. CONCLUSIONS: The IRAOS shows some
evidence that psychotic patients with co-morbid substance abuse
can be distinguished from patients with a drug-induced
psychosis according to the course of the initial
psychopathology and pre-morbid functioning
