Users report depression and injuries.

• Position: Substance Abuse - Researchers find high incidence of comorbidity among substance abusers

People with substance abuse disorders often have accompanying medical or psychiatric conditions that can include bone fractures, muscle injuries, pain disorders, depression, anxiety, and even psychoses, maintain two studies by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, Md. "The findings ... highlight the need for medical screening and treatment of comorbid conditions," advises NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow. "These studies provide more evidence that substance abuse does not occur in a vacuum, but rather often exists together with a number of conditions that have serious health consequences and may influence the success of substance abuse interventions provided alone. Physicians and ether health care providers need to keep in mind that a diagnosis of substance abuse should be all important warning signal to look for coexisting medical or psychiatric conditions."

Research by Jennifer Mertens and her colleagues at Kaiser Permanente health maintenance organization and the University of California, San Francisco, demonstrates that people undergoing treatment for substance abuse have a significantly higher prevalence of injuries (such as fractures, sprains, strains, and burns), depression, and anxiety disorders. Substance abuse patients also are more likely to require treatment for lower back...