Abstract
The authors determined psychiatric diagnoses in 207 cocaine abusers seeking outpatient treatment, using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) developed by the National Institute of Mental Health. A major proportion of subjects (62%) met diagnostic criteria for a current psychiatric disorder, and nearly three-quarters (73%) met lifetime criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder other than substance abuse. Antisocial personality disorders, affective disorders, and anxiety disorders accounted for most of the psychiatric illnesses. Women were found to have significantly higher rates of current and lifetime psychopathology than men. The temporal relationship between substance abuse and the onset of affective and anxiety disorders was examined, with the particular finding that onset of anxiety disorders substantially predated regular cocaine use.