Problem Severity and Symptomatology among Substance Misusers: Differences between African-Americans and Caucasians

Abstract

Using data collected on 348 patients presenting to a hospital-based substance misuse treatment program, the present study compares psychiatric symptomatology and severity of substance misuse among African-American and Caucasian alcohol and drug misusers. African-Americans had a higher overall severity of substance misuse and reported using more substances than Caucasians. African-Americans also had higher levels of somatization, interpersonal problems, depression, hostility, obsessive/compulsive behavior, phobia, paranoia, and psychoticism than Caucasians. African-Americans exhibited higher levels of psychosocial stress and lower levels of global functioning than did Caucasians. The implications of the findings are discussed

Key Words:

• Ethnic differences
• Psychiatric symptomatology