Drug-induced psychiatric disorders

Abstract

This article is a review of the principal drug-induced psychiatric symptoms that are likely to be encountered in daily clinical practice as a result of drug abuse, overdoses or side effects of drugs prescribed for treatment. Many categories of medication have the potential to produce psychiatric symptoms, but antitubercular drugs, hypotensive agents and steroids have the highest incidence in clinical practice. Additionally, the problems of alcohol are all too frequently overlooked. The variety and frequency of secondary psychiatric symptoms which may be drug-related emphasise the importance of a careful consideration of all drugs taken by a patient with psychiatric complaints, to determine causal association with symptoms.