Epidemiology of Alcohol Use in Late Adolescence in Greece and Comorbidity with Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the current study was to examine the prevalence and associations of hazardous alcohol use with sociodemographic variables and its comorbidity with depression and other common mental disorders in a sample of Greek adolescents between 16 and 18 year old. METHODS: We recruited 2431 adolescents attending 25 senior high schools in Greece. We assessed depressive and anxiety disorders using the computerized version of a fully-structured psychiatric interview (the revised Clinical Interview Schedule / CIS-R). Alcohol use was assessed using questions taken from a previous WHO school survey. RESULTS: Approximately one-third of adolescents (overall: 30.7%, boys: 39.2%, girls: 21.9%, p < 0.001) consumed alcohol on a weekly basis. The experience of excessive consumption, leading to drunkenness at least two or more times in their lifetime, was reported by 15.39% of the adolescents (19.42% for the boys and 11.24% for the girls, p < 0.001). Frequent alcohol consumption and drunkenness were strongly associated with the presence of depression, all other anxiety disorders except panic disorder, current smoking, and lifetime cannabis use, lower school performance, bad or fair relationship with parents, and increased health services use. CONCLUSION: Alcohol use is highly prevalent among Greek adolescents. Special attention for the development of more focused preventive strategies should be paid to adolescents suffering from depression or other common mental disorders.

Epidemiology and comorbidity of obsessive-compulsive disorder in late adolescence: a cross-sectional study in senior high schools in Greece.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the epidemiology, comorbidity and use of health services of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and subclinical obsessive-compulsive symptoms in late adolescence. METHODS: A total of 2427 adolescents attending senior high schools in Greece were selected for a detailed psychiatric interview using the revised clinical interview schedule (CIS-R). Use of alcohol, nicotine and cannabis, and several socio-demographic and socio-economic variables were also assessed. RESULTS: The prevalence of OCD was 1.39% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-1.84) while that of subclinical obsessive-compulsive symptoms was 2.77% (2.22-3.45). There was a female preponderance for subclinical symptoms. Financial difficulties of the family was the only socio-demographic variable that was significantly associated with OCD but not with subclinical symptoms. The pattern of comorbidity was similar for both conditions but milder in the subclinical form. About one in three reported use of general health services and one in ten use of psychiatric services. CONCLUSIONS: OCD and subclinical obsessive-compulsive symptoms were relatively common. Comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders and use of substances was considerable even in subclinical status, but use of specialised health services was small. Clinical and research implications are discussed.