Frequency of polytoxicomania with regard to gender

Abstract

Introduction: Polytoxicomania is an increasingly represented psychiatric entity within the framework of hospital psychiatric treatment.
The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of polytoxicomania at the Psychiatry Clinic of the Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka in relation to gender, age, education and frequency of use of treatment measures.
Subjects and methods: In a retrospective study conducted in two periods, from 01/012014 to 31/12/2014 and from 01/01/2019 to 31/12/2019, data was collected through the Integrated Hospital Information System for 143 subjects from the Diagnostic Group F19 -Mental and behavioral disorders caused by taking more drugs ortaking other psychoactive substances, who were treated at the Psychiatry Clinic of the Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, 60 in 2014 and 83 in 2019.
Results: In 2019, a higher number of patients with polytoxicomania was recorded compared to the same period five years earlier,with the ratio of men to women in both periods being 3.5:1. Women diagnosed with polytoxicosis have a lower educational status thanmen in 2014, but not five years later. Women with polytoxicomaniaare significantly more often in hospital treatment and more likely to be diagnosed with mood disorder and schizoid disorder comparedto men.
Conclusion: The worrying upward trend of hospitalizations due topolytoxicomania is present in both genders, so it is extremely important to identify this problem early in the community itself andraise awareness of it through various preventive actions and programs.