Summary and Conclusions
AUD and other substance use disorders are extremely common among patients with schizophrenia. Almost half of
schizophrenia patients have a substance use disorder (when nicotine dependence is excluded) during their lifetime. The
rate is probably even greater among high-risk groups, such as young men with a history of violence or homelessness, and among patients in acute care settings. In most geographic areas, alcohol is the most common substance of abuse
(other than nicotine) among patients with schizophrenia, and alcohol abuse is correlated with poor concurrent
adjustment and predictive of adverse outcomes such as higher rates of homelessness, hospitalization, and incarceration.