Alcohol Use and Alcoholism Among Individuals with Schizophrenia in the North of Iran

Background: Alcohol consumption is one of the most common problematic issues globally that usually causes high costs for the health system. Also, schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder responsible for a heavy burden on healthcare providers. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate alcohol use and alcoholism in schizophrenia in Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study was conducted on 400 individuals with schizophrenia referred to the psychiatry hospital of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. History of alcohol consumption and the criteria of alcohol use disorder according to DSM-5-TR were sought during the interviews using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Results: Of the patients, 45.5% had drunk alcohol at some point in their lives, 23% had low-risk alcohol consumption, and 10% experienced high-risk consumption. In addition, 1.5% of our sample suffered from alcoholism, according to the AUDIT. Conclusions: The results of our study in Iran regarding alcohol use in schizophrenia are more similar to those of Western countries than eastern countries. The ratio of alcohol use in schizophrenia compared with the general population was even higher in our study than in western countries.