Anxiety and Substance Use Disorders: A Review.

Abstract

Decades of research in psychiatry have shown that anxiety disorders and substance use disorders co-occur at greater rates than would be expected by chance alone. This co-occurrence, or comorbidity, between anxiety and substance use disorders has generated considerable interest among researchers and clinicians, due to its relatively high prevalence, developmental and maintenance characteristics, clinical impact, and unique treatment factors. It is also notable that while these disorders are commonly found in a comorbid state and have generated a great deal of focused research attention, further studies are necessary before critical questions about how to best treat comorbid anxiety and substance use disorders are resolved through empirical inquiry rather than expert opinion.