Glucose and cholesterol stabilization in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with depressive and anxiety symptoms by problem-solving therapy in primary care centers in Mexico City.

Aim The aim of this study was to determine if the problem-solving therapy (PST) helps control metabolic variables in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who show depressive and anxiety symptoms. BACKGROUND: T2DM is a chronic-degenerative multifactorial disease. It is considered one of the main public health problems in the world, and it represents an important social and economic burden. It is frequently associated with major depression and anxiety disorders, which are related with high glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) concentrations and poor metabolic control. METHOD: We initially included 123 patients diagnosed with T2DM from five primary care centers (PCC) in Mexico City. HbA1c, central glucose, and lipid profile were measured in each patient. In addition, the Kessler psychological distress scale (K-10), the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory were applied at the beginning and, to those who continued, at the end of the PST, as well as four months later. Findings In total, 36 patients completed the PST and the follow-up. There was a significant decrease in depressive and anxiety symptoms (P<0.001), as well as in total cholesterol (P=0.002), HbA1c (P=0.05), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (P=0.022). The PST helps reduce depressive and anxiety symptoms and may help stabilize glucose and cholesterol up to four months. Further studies on this area are recommended. If our findings are confirmed, the PST could help improve the quality of life of thousands of individuals with psychiatric-metabolic co-morbidity who only visit PCC.

Therapeutic properties of cannabinoid drugs and marijuana in several disorders: A narrative review / Propiedades terapeúticas de los fármacos cannabinoides y de la marihuana en distintas patologías: Revisión narrativa

Abstract Background Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anticonvulsant, and other effects have been attributed to cannabis, and so it has been widely used to treat several diseases. Objective To assess the use and therapeutic effects of cannabinoid drugs and the cannabis plant in several diseases. Method We carried out a narrative review of the literature that has reported the use of the cannabis plant (marijuana) and cannabinoid drugs (nabilone, cannabinol and dronabinol, among others). We conducted a search in Medline, Cochrane, SciELO and other web sites. Clinical, controlled, double-blind and randomized studies were included. The route of administration and the cannabinoid drugs used were assessed too. Results Thirty-four studies were included. Nabilone was the cannabinoid drug more commonly used (12 studies), followed by delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (11 studies). It was also found that the marijuana plant and cannabinoid drugs were used to treat many symptoms or diseases. Two studies were reported for Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome. Discussion and conclusion Many scientific studies on the marijuana plant and cannabinoid drugs conclude that these are not as effective as conventional medications and thus their benefits should be taken with caution.

Resumen Antecedentes A la planta de cannabis y a los fármacos cannabinoides se les han atribuido efectos antiinflamatorios, analgésicos y anticonvulsivantes, entre otros, y por ello se han utilizado para tratar diversas patologías. Objetivo Evaluar el uso y los efectos terapéuticos de la planta de cannabis y los fármacos cannabinoides en diversas enfermedades. Método Se utilizó un diseño descriptivo mediante la revisión narrativa de la literatura sobre el uso de la planta de cannabis (mariguana) y los fármacos cannabinoides (nabilona, cannabinol y dronabinol, entre otros) en los buscadores Medline, Cochrane, SciELO y otros. Se incluyeron sólo los estudios clínicos, controlados, doble ciego y aleatorizados, así como la vía de administración y el fármaco cannabinoide utilizado. Resultados Treinta y cuatro estudios cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión. La nabilona fue el fármaco más empleado (12 estudios), seguida del delta-9-tetrahidrocannabinol (THC) (11 estudios). Tanto la planta como los fármacos cannabinoides se utilizaron para tratar diversos síntomas o enfermedades. Dos estudios reportaron su uso para el síndrome de Gilles de la Tourette. Discusión y conclusión La mayoría de los estudios revisados indican que la efectividad de la planta de mariguana o de los fármacos cannabinoides no es superior a la de los fármacos convencionales y que sus beneficios deben tomarse con cautela.

Collaborative Care model in mental health. Scope and experiences after three years of activity in Mexico City.

Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the experience of the Collaborative Care model with general practitioners (GPs) for diagnosis and treatment of depression and anxiety disorders in primary care centers (PCC). BACKGROUND: For many years, different ways to address mental health problems in primary care settings have been evaluated. However, there is still debate over how to treat psychiatric conditions in such a context. METHOD: A cross-sectional design was used. The study was conducted in two consecutive studies in six PCC that serve marginalized population in Mexico City. In the first study, cases were interviewed, diagnosed, and treated by a psychiatrist. In the second study, Collaborative Care model was used and GPs were trained; psychiatrists diagnosed and treated patients but GPs discussed the symptoms and treatment of the patients with the psychiatrist. Findings First study: 18 patients with depressive and/or anxiety disorders were interviewed; these cases were not discussed between the GPs and the psychiatrist. Second study: psychiatrists and GPs conducted joint interviews and cases were discussed. From the 399 evaluated individuals, 38.94% were diagnosed with a depressive disorder. After the Collaborative Care model was applied, GPs were more aware about mental health problems and they were more interested in the identification of these conditions in PCC. Replication studies will help confirm the effectiveness of this model.

La salud mental y la atención primaria en México. Experiencias de un modelo de atención colaborativa / Mental health and primary care in Mexico. Experience of the collaborative care model

Resumen: INTRODUCCIÓN: En México, existe poca experiencia en el desarrollo de modelos en atención primaria en salud mental. OBJETIVO: Estructurar y aplicar un modelo de atención colaborativa en salud mental, basado en evidencias científicas probadas en otros países. MÉTODO: Se diseñó un modelo acorde a las características del sistema de salud de la Ciudad de México. El modelo consistió en: la capacitación del equipo de salud para detectar posibles casos, la aplicación del instrumento de tamizaje (K-10), para el diagnóstico de depresión y ansiedad, así como realizar reuniones de atención colaborativa entre los médicos generales y el especialista en psiquiatría para la supervisión de casos. Se aplicó una entrevista de opinión a los médicos generales. RESULTADOS: Se capacitaron 104 profesionistas. Durante tres años se detectaron 830 (50.5%) posibles casos, se valoraron el 38% de éstos en sesiones de atención colaborativa entre el médico general y el psiquiatra. El 50% de las sesiones fueron suspendidas por motivos administrativos principalmente; la asistencia de los médicos generales y de los pasantes de medicina fue regular. DISCUSIÓN Y CONCLUSIÓN: El modelo de atención colaborativa entre el médico general y el especialista en este contexto puede funcionar. Sin embargo, se deben resolver algunas barreras administrativas, como la organización de los servicios y el número de programas que se desarrollan en el primer nivel de atención. Ante esta limitación, y dada la experiencia, se propone que los estudiantes de servicio social de medicina se involucren en este tipo de modelos, con el apoyo de los médicos generales.

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: In Mexico, there is scarce experience on the development of mental health primary care models. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this work was to structure and apply a collaborative care model in mental health based on scientific evidence proven in other countries. METHOD: A model complying with the characteristics of Mexico City's health system was designed. The model was composed of: training sessions for the health team to detect possible cases, application of a screening instrument (K-10), diagnostics of depression and anxiety, and collaborative care meetings, among general practitioners and the specialist (psychiatrist) to oversee cases. An opinion interview about the model was applied to general practitioners. RESULTS: One hundred and four professionals were trained. During the three years, 830 (50.5%) possible cases were detected; 38% of them were evaluated in collaborative care sessions between the general practitioners and the psychiatrist. Half the sessions were cancelled, mainly for administrative reasons. The assistance of medical practitioners and pregraduate medical education was regular. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: A collaborative care model between the general practitioner and the specialist is feasible in this context. However, some administrative barriers -such as the organization of services and the number of programs developed at the primary care- should be solved, because there are other programs demanding from them the exclusiveness of time. In the light of this limitation, and given the collaboration in the project, it is proposed that pregraduate medical education students involve themselves in this type of models with the support of general practitioners.

Medidas generales de evacuación de enfermos mentales hospitalizados en situaciones de desastres. Revisión de la bibliografía y sugerencias / General evacuation measures in disaster situations for hospitalized mental patients. Literature review and suggestions

Alrededor del mundo, los desastres naturales y los provocados por el hombre causan la migración de grandes grupos humanos, trastornos mentales como el estrés postraumático y pérdidas económicas. Así, se ha calculado que cada año ocurren 1 30 desastres de diferente naturaleza en las Américas y que el 67% de los hospitales o clínicas están en zonas de alto riesgo. Por tal motivo, la Organización Mundial de la Salud considera que la prevención de los desastres, la reducción del riesgo, los preparativos y la recuperación son actividades que forman parte de un ciclo continuo por lo que ha desarrollado el programa de "Hospital Seguro" y el "Índice de Seguridad Hospitalaria" que son herramientas para evaluar la funcionalidad hospitalaria y la probabilidad de continuar en funcionamiento en casos de desastre. El presente artículo hace una revisión breve y práctica de la bibliografía sobre las medidas generales para la evacuación de los enfermos mentales de un hospital psiquiátrico ya que es una población altamente vulnerable por causas intrínsecas y extrínsecas a la enfermedad mental. Estas medidas incluyen: el momento adecuado para tomar la decisión de evacuarlo, la forma de hacerlo, seleccionar a los pacientes que requieren una evacuación inmediata, evaluar el tratamiento antes y durante el siniestro así como el abastecimiento de los medicamentos, quiénes serán los responsables de la evacuación y el lugar donde serán trasladados tomando en cuenta el tiempo que durará la catástrofe; la identificación de los pacientes y la información que se deberá dar a sus familiares, así como la supervisión de la vida en los albergues y su retorno cuando culmine el evento catastrófico. Finalmente sugiere algunos elementos a tomar en cuenta para la prevención y acciones para evacuar un hospital psiquiátrico ante dichas situaciones las cuales no son exclusivas para esta población sino que también pueden aplicarse a otras poblaciones vulnerables como niños y ancianos.

Around the world, natural and man-provoked disasters cause the migration of big human groups, mental disorders -such as post-traumatic stress disorder-, and economic losses. It has been estimated that each year 130 disasters of different nature occur in the Americas and that 67% of the hospitals and clinics are located in high risk areas. For this reason, the World Health Organization considers that disaster prevention, risk reduction, preparations, and recovery are activities which form a continuous cycle. In the light of this, it has developed the "Safe Hospital" program and the "Hospital Safety Index", two tools to evaluate the functionality of hospitals and the probability that they continue working in the case of disaster. This paper makes a brief practical review of the general evacuation measures for the mental patients of a psychiatric hospital as this is a highly vulnerable population given to causes which are intrinsic and extrinsic to mental illness. These measures include: the right moment to make the decision to evacuate a psychiatric hospital, the way to carry this out, evaluating patients requiring an immediate evacuation, evaluating pre- and post-sinister treatment, medical drugs supply, who will be responsible for the evacuation, the place where patients will be transferred taking into account the duration of the catastrophe, patients identification, the information which will be provided to relatives, the supervision of life in the shelters, and patients return at the end of the catastrophe. Finally, the paper suggests some elements to be considered for prevention, as well as some actions to evacuate a psychiatric hospital in the face of disaster situations. These are not exclusive for this population for they can be applied to other vulnerable groups, such as children and the elderly.

Validación de la escala Kessler 10 (K-10) en la detección de depresión y ansiedad en el primer nivel de atención. Propiedades psicométricas / Validity of the kessler 10 (k-10) scale in detecting depression and anxiety disorders in the primary care services. Psychometric properties

According to studies conducted in different countries, it is estimated that approximately 30% to 50% of people with mental health problems are not recognized by the general practitioner. Given this situation, it has been proposed that the practitioner at the primary care services must play a decisive role in the early detection of cases by establishing a definitive diagnostic and a timely treatment. Several organizations have pointed out that one of the first actions that need to be implemented to fulfill the aims in the care of people with mental disorders is to prepare the first-contact doctors and to have a brief, low cost, self-applied, valid and reliable scale. The studies mention that using screening tests at the primary care level is crucial for the success of the programs. The detection and recognition of psychiatric symptomatology rates vary depending on the type of scale applied. The tools that have been widely used are the Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, the Depression Symptom Checklist (DS 20), the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL), the Hamilton Depression Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), the self-administered computerized assessment (PROQSY), the criteria of the 3rd revised edition of the Diagnostical and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R), the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID), and the criteria of the Symptom Driven Diagnostic System for Primary Care (SDDS-PC), among others. The preliminary results confirm the existence of a high percentage of possible psychiatric cases (46.9%), but only 4% of cases are referral. The low capability of the general practitioner at the primary care level in detecting these pathologies has been confirmed as well. These scales have been applied in different scenarios and to different types of population. Although the dominating criteria for choosing the tool are sensitivity and specificity, some authors mention that strategies for adequately handling cases, such as the confirmation of the diagnosis and follow-up of the patients, are required once the treatment has started. In this paper, we present the psychometric characteristics of the Kessler (K-10) scale in detecting depression and anxiety disorders in the primary care. Material and methods The study is a methodological process that aims to validate the Kessler Psychological Distress scale (K-10). It was conducted in two health care centers of primary care level in Mexico City. The subjects were 280 individuals who requested attention at the mentioned centers and to whom the K-10 test was applied after giving their informed consent. Later on, the computerized version of the International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), which uses the diagnostic criteria of the DSM-IV, was applied to the subjects in order to confirm the diagnostics for depression and anxiety. The MINI is a version adapted to Latin American Spanish by the National Institute of Psychiatry Ramon de la Fuente Muñiz. The diagnostic accuracy was processed following the MINI diagnoses for depression and anxiety closely, and the scores on the scale K-10 as a predictor. The sensitivity and specificity were calculated for all possible cut points in order to establish the optimal cut off point. The efficiency and maximum likelihood ratios were also calculated. The area under the ROC curve as well as the probability quotients, positive and negative (LR+ and LR-), were also calculated. The K-10 is a brief screening tool that can be easily applied by the primary care personnel which measures the psychological distress of a person during the four weeks prior to the application. It consists of ten questions with Likert-like answers that range from 1 to 5 and are categorized in a five level ordinal scale: Always, Very Often, Sometimes, Rarely, Never; where «Never¼ has an assigned value of 1, and «Always¼ has assigned value of 5. It has a minimum score of 10 and a maximum of 50. The ranges of the instrument are four levels: low (10-15), moderate (16-21), high (22-29) and very high (30-50). The instrument showed an internal consistency of 0.90 and it has been used in various population studies promoted by the World Health Organization as well as government organizations in Australia, Spain, Colombia and Peru. Results Out of 280 individuals to whom the tool was applied, 78.9% (221) were female and 21.1% (59) male. These values represent the proportion of patients attending the primary care services (95% confidence interval=±5.4%). The mean age of women was 39 years, and the mean age of men was 41. The 70.6% of the women manifested more psychological distress than men (52.5%)[χ2(1)=6.05,p=0.014. No other socio-demographic variable showed significant differences. The instrument is highly precise, it can detect up to 87% of depression cases, and 82.4% of anxiety cases. The scale was compared with the MINI and it presented a prevalence of 26.8% and 10.6%, respectively. Of the total of depression cases, 26.4% also presented anxiety; these represent a co-morbidity of 5.4%. The construct validity presented one factor alone that explains the 53.4% of the total variance, this is why the scale is considered as one-dimensional. In other words, the scale only measures the construct of the psychological distress. The internal consistency was α=0.901. Once the sensitivity and specificity for all cut off points had been determined using the MINI as a golden rule, it was observed that the cut off point for maximum sensitivity and specificity corresponded to 21 for the diagnosis of depression, and 22 for anxiety. Conclusions The K-10 is a good instrument for the detection of depression and anxiety cases at the primary care level which meets the criteria of validity and reliability. However, given that only one diagnosis was considered for all the range of anxiety disorders, the scale must be chosen carefully for all the other disorders that are not included in this paper. The use of the instrument is recommended for the general practitioners at the primary care level, mainly for diagnosing depression. Various studies in which other screening instruments have been used for the detection of depressive disorder at primary care point out that any screening method are useful in making the diagnosis. By using these instruments, the depression diagnosis at primary care level increases from 10% to 47%. The latter supports the fact that the selection of a good instrument turns out to be effective in detection, treatment and clinical outcomes of the entity. Since this recommendation is only one of the activities required in primary care level for good handling of detected cases, it is noteworthy to mention that a comprehensive care model that encompasses both the detection as well as the pharmacological and psychosocial treatments is required.

De acuerdo con estudios realizados en diferentes países se estima que aproximadamente hay entre 30% a 50% de personas que presentan algún problema de salud mental que no es reconocido por el médico general. En virtud de esta situación se ha propuesto como estrategia a la atención primaria como base del sistema de salud, lo que permitiría la detección temprana de pacientes con algún trastorno psiquiátrico. Diferentes organismos señalan que una de las primeras acciones para cumplir con los objetivos en la atención de personas con algún trastorno mental, consiste en contar con una escala breve, autoaplicable, válida y confiable y de bajo costo. En este trabajo se presentan las características psicométricas de la escala Kessler (K-10) para detectar trastornos depresivos y ansiosos. La K-10 es un instrumento de tamizaje breve y de fácil aplicación por el personal del primer nivel de atención y ha sido utilizada en diferentes estudios a nivel poblacional. En Australia, en 1997, se aplicó la K-10 en una encuesta de salud, por medio del Consejo Nacional de Encuestas de Salud Mental. Material y métodos Se trata de un estudio de proceso metodológico, cuyo objetivo fue la validación de la escala de malestar psicológico K-10 de Kessler. El estudio se llevó a cabo en dos Centros de Salud del primer nivel de atención en la Ciudad de México. Los participantes fueron 280 personas que acudieron a la consulta externa de dichos centros. Se utilizaron los criterios del DSM-IV para la confirmación del diagnóstico de depresión y de ansiedad, por medio de la Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), en su versión computarizada, adaptada al español latinoamericano en el Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz. La validez diagnóstica se procesó utilizando los diagnósticos de la MINI para depresión y ansiedad como regla de oro y las puntuaciones obtenidas en la escala K-10 como predictor. Se calculó la sensibilidad y especificidad para todos los posibles puntos de corte con el fin de establecer el óptimo. Se calculó adicionalmente la eficiencia y las razones de máxima verosimilitud, así como el área bajo la curva ROC y los cocientes de probabilidad, positivo y negativo (LR+ y LR-). Resultados Del total de personas a quiénes se les aplicó la escala, el 78.9% (221) fueron mujeres y 21.1% (59) hombres. Estos valores representan la proporción en que los pacientes acuden a los servicios de primer nivel (IC 95%=±5.4%). El 70.6% de las mujeres presentaron mayor malestar psicológico en comparación con los hombres que representaron el 52.5% [χ²(1)=6.05,p=0.014]. En ninguna otra variable socio-demográfica se presentaron diferencias significativas. El instrumento tiene una alta precisión, ya que puede detectar hasta el 87% de los casos de depresión y un 82.4% de los casos de ansiedad. La escala se comparó con el MINI en español y presentó una prevalencia de 26.8% y 26.4%, respectivamente. Conclusiones El instrumento cumple con los criterios de validez y confiabilidad, por lo que se recomienda su uso por los médicos generales en el primer nivel de atención. Dado que esta recomendación sólo es una de las actividades que se requieren en la atención primaria para un buen manejo de los casos que se detecten, es necesario señalar que se requiere de un modelo de atención integral que incorpore tanto la detección como el tratamiento farmacológico y psicosocial.

Validación de la prueba de identificación de trastornos derivados del consumo de alcohol (AUDIT) en pacientes Mexicanos con esquizofrenia / Validation of the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) in Mexican patients with schizophrenia

OBJETIVOS: Validar la Prueba de Identificación de Trastornos Derivados del Consumo de Alcohol (AUDIT, por su sigla en inglés) en pacientes con esquizofrenia. MÉTODOS: Se aplicó la Cédula Diagnóstica Internacional Compuesta (CIDI, por su sigla en inglés) versión 1.0 y el AUDIT a 80 sujetos con esquizofrenia, de ambos sexos y mayores de 16 años, de la consulta externa del Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría de la ciudad de México. RESULTADOS: De los 80 pacientes esquizofrénicos, 57 eran hombres y 23 mujeres con un promedio de edad de 30,5 y 34,3 años, respectivamente; la edad de inicio de la esquizofrenia fue de 22 años para los hombres y 26 años para las mujeres; 35 sujetos (43,7 por ciento) consumían alcohol al momento del estudio. La escala AUDIT mostró alta consistencia interna, con un alfa de Cronbach de 0,812; el punto de corte de la escala completa del AUDIT para esta población fue de 4 puntos o más; se construyeron los puntos de corte de la "prueba rápida" y de los "Problemas psicosociales y probable dependencia al alcohol" del AUDIT utilizando como estándar de comparación el CIDI (DSM-III-R y CIE-10). CONCLUSIONES: La validación del AUDIT mostró que es un instrumento de tamizaje muy útil y sensible para identificar a pacientes con esquizofrenia en riesgo de abuso o dependencia de alcohol, por lo que se recomienda su uso en estudios clínicos y epidemiológicos en Latinoamérica.

OBJECTIVES: To validate the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) in schizophrenic patients. METHODS: The Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI v. 1) and the AUDIT were administered to 80 subjects with schizophrenia, of both sexes, more than 16 years of age, from the outpatient services at the National Institute of Psychiatry in Mexico City. RESULTS: Of the 80 schizophrenic patients, 57 were men and 23 women, with a mean age of 30.5 years and 34.3 years, respectively; the age at schizophrenia onset was 22 years for men, and 26 years for women; 35 subjects (43.7 percent) were consumers of alcohol at the time of the study. The AUDIT scale showed high internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.812; for this population, the cutoff point for the full AUDIT scale was 4 points or more; cutoff points for the AUDIT "rapid test" and the "psychosocial issues and probable alcohol dependence" were based on benchmarking against the CIDI (DSM-IIIR and ICD-10). CONCLUSIONS: The AUDIT validation showed it to be a useful and sensitive screening tool for identifying schizophrenic patients at risk for alcohol abuse and dependence; therefore, it is recommended for use in clinical and epidemiological studies in Latin America.

[Validation of the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) in Mexican patients with schizophrenia]. / Validación de la prueba de identificación de trastornos derivados del consumo de alcohol (AUDIT) en pacientes Mexicanos con esquizofrenia.

OBJECTIVES: To validate the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) in schizophrenic patients. METHODS: The Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI v. 1) and the AUDIT were administered to 80 subjects with schizophrenia, of both sexes, more than 16 years of age, from the outpatient services at the National Institute of Psychiatry in Mexico City. RESULTS: Of the 80 schizophrenic patients, 57 were men and 23 women, with a mean age of 30.5 years and 34.3 years, respectively; the age at schizophrenia onset was 22 years for men, and 26 years for women; 35 subjects (43.7%) were consumers of alcohol at the time of the study. The AUDIT scale showed high internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.812; for this population, the cutoff point for the full AUDIT scale was 4 points or more; cutoff points for the AUDIT 'rapid test' and the 'psychosocial issues and probable alcohol dependence' were based on benchmarking against the CIDI (DSM-IIIR and ICD-10). CONCLUSIONS: The AUDIT validation showed it to be a useful and sensitive screening tool for identifying schizophrenic patients at risk for alcohol abuse and dependence; therefore, it is recommended for use in clinical and epidemiological studies in Latin America.

Funcionamiento psicosocial de pacientes esquizofrénicos de acuerdo con su consumo de alcohol

resumen está disponible en el texto completo

Summary Background: Between 1% and 1.5% of the world population is affected by schizophrenia. In Mexico, it has been estimated that between 619,550 and 1,239,101 (1-2%) individuals suffered from schizophrenia in 2000. The condition is more common among male teenagers and young adults. The main features of schizophrenia are the positive and negative symptoms closely associated with a psychosocial functioning impairment. In addition, between 25% and 80% of the psychiatric population uses addictive substances, with alcohol, at 50%, being one of the most highly used. These substances use is closely associated with a poor psychosocial functioning; when alcohol use is accompanied by schizophrenia, psychosocial functioning is even more disrupted. In the last few years, it has been shown that an early reinsertion of schizophrenic individuals into their social and familial environment causes a lesser degree of impairment in their psychosocial functioning. This functioning is evaluated through the acquisition of new skills to move about in familial, social and work environments. The latter is called psychosocial treatment. In this sense, psychosocial functioning is described as each individual's ability to adapt, function, move about and interact in a social and personal environment. This functioning evaluates the social, occupational, economic, sexual and familial areas. Objective: The objective of this study was to establish the association between schizophrenic patients' psychosocial functioning according to their alcohol use and the severity of schizophrenia. Methodology: Eighty schizophrenic, psychiatrically stable, subjects were selected during a 14-month period of time. All of them were submitted only once to the Psychosocial Functioning Scale (PFS), the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). These scales were used in order to confirm the schizophrenia diagnostic and its severity, to measure the psychosocial functioning of this population, to identify early on problems related to alcohol use and to perform an alcohol use/dependency diagnostic on those individuals who met such diagnostic criteria. A Chi squared, Mann-Whitney's U, the t test, Kruskal-Wallis and the one-way ANOVA were used for statistical analysis purposes. Results: Seventy-one percent of the subjects were males and 29% females; 87% were single and 70% were unemployed or had an informal job. Thirty-one years was the average age among males and 34 among females. Subjects started suffering schizophrenia when they were between 12 and 30 years (average: 23 years; SD: 6.36), and 94% of them started using alcohol while they were at this very same age range (average: 20 years; SD: 4. 98). Seventy-six percent of the subjects presented a schizophrenia evolution of less than ten years. Comparing alcohol use with psychosocial functioning according to the AUDIT, the social and familial were the more affected areas, both of which showed statistically significant differences. As to the period of evolution of schizophrenia and psychosocial functioning, the 16-20 year group was the one which showed less satisfaction. Schizophrenia severity did not show any statistical significance when compared to the type of alcohol use. Conclusion: Results from this research are similar to those from other Mexican and international studies which have found out that schizophrenia onset is more common during teenage, that more men than women are affected by the condition and that most subjects suffer it first when they are between 16 and 25 years. On the other hand, it has been found out that alcohol use is starting at increasingly early ages, with men being the main users. Such an association has lead many researchers to think that schizophrenia onset is highly associated with alcohol use, be it because the negative symptoms of schizophrenia promote the initial use of alcohol or because alcohol use triggers the early onset of schizophrenia. In this study it was not possible to prove such an hypothesis given the reduced number of subjects in the sample. This was not either the main objective of the study and given the fact that some other type of methodology is required to identify such an association. However, it is clear that there is a high non-diagnosed comorbidity between schizophrenia and alcohol use which, as a result, is not treated and translates, ultimately, into a bigger impairment of the psychosocial functioning. Among the scales employed, AUDIT is an excellent screening instrument to detect subjects at risk of becoming alcoholics and to identify incipient alcohol use patterns and the problems associated with it. Thus, it is suggested that it could be used both in first and third level hospitals. Finally, although no statistically significant results were found out in any of the variables, there is enough evidence where the association between schizophrenia and alcohol leads to an accumulated effect influencing the psychosocial functioning impairment. In the light of this, it is suggested that clinicians inquire about alcohol use in patients showing some mental pathology to research more in depth the schizophrenia-alcohol comorbidity phenomenon and its association with psychosocial functioning so as to design adequate prevention, treatment and rehabilitation programs for the schizophrenic population.