PMID: 8605647Nov 1, 1995Paper

Analysis of drug abuse among adolescent psychiatric inpatients at Veterans General Hospital-Taipei

Zhonghua yi xue za zhi = Chinese medical journal; Free China ed
H S YehC B Sim

Abstract

The problems of drug abuse has been growing rapidly in Taiwan area recently. Adolescents hospitalized due to drugs related problems were a special population and research of this population may contribute to the whole view of the drug abuse problems in our society. Psychiatric inpatient records of Veterans General Hospital-Taipei from January, 1991 to June, 1993 were reviewed. Among totally 296 admissions of 260 adolescents, 38 admissions of 27 adolescents were related to drug abuse. The discharge diagnosis, urine drug screen test during admission, hospitalization course, follow-up condition of the 38 admissions as well as the demographic data, pattern of drug abuse, family and personal problems of the 27 adolescents were collected and analyzed. Among the 27 patients, 21 (78%) abused amphetamine only or mainly, and 14 (52%) of them also drank alcohol daily. As a whole, they began to drink at age 15.6 +/- 1.5 years, to abuse amphetamine at 16.8 +/- 1.2 years. Those who sniff glue started at the age of 15.4 +/- 1.8 years and those who abuse heroin started at the age of 18 years. 14 patients (51%) had previous abstinence history, and the most common reason of failure were craving, peer pressure and boredom. Personal and family fac...Continue Reading

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