Referral patterns and clinical characteristics of subjects referred to substance abuse clinic of a regional hospital in Hong Kong
Tang, A.; Liang, H.J.; Ungvari, G.S.; Tang, W.K.
East Asian Archives of Psychiatry Official Journal of the Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists 21(1): 22-27
2011
ISSN/ISBN: 2078-9947 PMID: 21837853 Document Number: 650360
To examine the clinical characteristics of subjects referred to the Substance Abuse Clinic of the Prince of Wales Hospital between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2009 in Hong Kong. A chart review of 131 subjects referred to the Substance Abuse Clinic during the study period was carried out. Psychiatric diagnoses were made by a psychiatrist, according to the 10th edition of the International Classification of Diseases. Social workers were increasingly a main source of referrals, accounting for 34% of referrals during the entire study period (and 43% in 2009). Another important referral source was the Hospital Authority system in Hong Kong, which accounted for 38% of referrals over the 3-year study period. Ketamine, methamphetamine, and cough mixtures were the most common drugs of primary misuse, the proportion of users being 34%, 24% and 12%, respectively. In these referals, the most common psychiatric diagnosis was substance-induced psychotic disorder, followed by depressive disorder, made in 44% and 22% of the subjects, respectively. Among Hong Kong substance abusers, psychotic and depressive disorders are common, and ketamine is the most commonly misused drug.