Alcohol Dependence Among Patients Admitted to Psychiatric Emergency Services

The prevalence of alcohol dependence among 104 consecutive patients examined in the psychiatric emergency service of a general hospital in Paris was assessed. Alcohol dependence was seen in 37.5% of these patients. Alcohol-dependent patients were more often men than women & more often unemployed than non-alcohol-dependent psychiatric emergencies. Attempted suicide was as frequent in alcohol-dependent patients (23%) as in other patients (29%). 1 of the 3 patients assessed with comorbid depression had made a suicide attempt. 8 of 17 patients with comorbid dysthymia had attempted suicide. (11 refs.)