Drunk Drivers Should Be Screened for Other Drug Use, Mental IllnessOctober 16, 2001
Research Summary
A new report recommends that people arrested for drunk driving should be tested for other drug use and mental illness, as well, Reuters reported Oct. 14.The Behavioral Health Research Center of the Southwest in Albuquerque, N.M., studied 612 women and 493 men, aged 23 to 54, who were convicted of driving while under the influence of alcohol. The research found that 32 percent of the women and 38 percent of the men were found to use other drugs besides alcohol, compared to 16 percent and 21 percent, respectively, in the general population.
In addition, half of the women and 33 percent of the men arrested for drunken driving had at least one psychiatric disorder. The most common disorders were post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression.
The report is published in the October issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
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