In China, it is common to associate patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) with substance use, particularly tobacco and alcohol. However, limited research has focused specifically on alcohol consumption in this population. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of alcohol use and its associated clinical factors in Chinese patients with SCZ. A total of 616 male inpatients diagnosed with SCZ according to DSM-5 criteria participated. Researchers used a detailed questionnaire to gather demographic and clinical information, including alcohol consumption, and employed the five-factor model of the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) to assess psychiatric symptoms.

The results revealed that 31.49% of SCZ inpatients had a history of alcohol use, with 82.9% abstaining after the onset of SCZ. Compared to nondrinkers, patients who consumed alcohol were more likely to smoke, have suicide attempts and suicidal ideation, exhibit more severe positive and depressive symptoms, but less severe negative symptoms. These findings suggest that alcohol use is prevalent among SCZ patients and may be linked to specific clinical symptoms, indicating the need for targeted interventions addressing substance use in this population.

Reference: Lv M, Wang X, Wang Z, et al. Alcohol drinking in male patients with chronic schizophrenia: prevalence and its relationship to clinical symptoms. Front Psychiatry. 2023 Jul 13;14:1164968. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1164968. PMID: 37520222; PMCID: PMC10372417.