Nicole Canary-Digironimo
Substance abuse is considered a social menace and a significant risk factor for mortality and morbidity. It is often contended that substance abuse is triggered by various overwhelming events which the concerned stakeholders are unable to cope or overcome. Hence, they resort to substance abuse to abstain from the distressing thoughts associated with such events. Although different therapeutic interventions are implicated for treating substance abuse, none of them are uniformly effective. Hence, management of substance use disorder imposes significant challenges across psychologists and allied healthcare professionals. In this regard, various non-pharmacological interventions such as psychoanalysis gained in popularity for managing substance use disorders. Individuals exhibiting substance use behavior also exhibit comorbid psychopathic disorders such as depression and anxiety. Such dynamics of health behavior across the concerned stakeholders deteriorates their prognosis. However, there is inconclusive evidence whether psychoanalysis is effective in managing comorbid substance use and psychopathic disorders. It is also contended that the perception of psychologists is a key determinant for administering psychoanalytic approaches while managing patients of substance abuse and depression. The present study provided conclusive evidence based on the integration of primary and secondary data that psychoanalysis is effective in managing comorbid alcohol use disorder and major depressive disorder. Future studies should explore the role of psychoanalysis in managing various types of substance use and psychopathic disorders
