A Longitudinal Investigation of the Role of Self-Medication in the Development of Comorbid Mood and Drug Use Disorders

Abstract

Self-medication with drugs among individuals with mood disorders confers substantial risk of developing incident drug dependence and is associated with the persistence of comorbid mood and drug use disorders. These results clarify a pathway that may lead to the development of mood and drug use disorder comorbidity and indicate an at-risk population, with potential points of intervention for prevention of comorbidity.