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Brain Sciences
Special Issues
Substance Abuse in the Psychiatric Population
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Substance Abuse in the Psychiatric Population

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neuropsychiatry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 760

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Michael Fritz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ulm University, 89312 Guenzburg, Germany
Interests: behavioral neuroscience; psychoneuroimmunology; addiction research
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Marc Fakhoury

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biological Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
Interests: behavioral neuroscience; psychiatry; mood disorders
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Substance abuse has long been a major concern in the psychiatric population. There is indeed converging evidence suggesting that individuals suffering from mental health disorders are more vulnerable to substance abuse and vice versa. Such dual diagnoses can lead to more complicated treatment outcomes, higher relapse rates, and poorer prognoses among affected individuals.

The overarching aim of this Special Issue is to explore the complex relationship between substance abuse and psychiatric disorders, highlighting new therapeutic modalities that could improve clinical outcomes.

This issue will feature recent research on the neurobiological, psychological and psychiatric aspects of substance abuse and psychiatric disorders, advancements in dual clinical diagnoses, and innovative or traditional strategies for early intervention and prevention.

We invite all types of articles, including original research, reviews, and case studies that focus on substance abuse in the psychiatric population. Papers emphasizing a translational from bench to bedside approach are highly welcome.

Dr. Michael Fritz
Dr. Marc Fakhoury
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • substance abuse disorder
  • genetics (expression, SNPs)
  • epigenetics
  • schizophrenia
  • forensic psychiatry
  • depression
  • bipolar disorder
  • translational research
  • personality disorders
  • imaging (PET, SPECT, MRI)
  • general psychiatry

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

10 pages, 209 KB  
Article
“Hangry” in Forensic Psychiatry? Analysis of the Relationship Between Eating Disorders and Aggressive Behavior in Patients with Substance Use Disorders
by Judith Streb, Tinatin Deisenhofer, Samira Schneider, Victoria Peters and Manuela Dudeck
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(8), 836; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15080836 - 4 Aug 2025
Viewed by 432
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Substance use disorders and eating disorders frequently co-occur and are both associated with increased aggression. As a result, individuals with these conditions are overrepresented in prison populations. The present study investigated whether symptoms of eating disorders in male forensic psychiatric inpatients [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Substance use disorders and eating disorders frequently co-occur and are both associated with increased aggression. As a result, individuals with these conditions are overrepresented in prison populations. The present study investigated whether symptoms of eating disorders in male forensic psychiatric inpatients with substance use disorders are associated with heightened aggression. To this end, various forms of aggressive behavior—including spontaneous and reactive aggression, excitability, and violent offenses—were analyzed. Methods: Fifty-six male patients from two forensic psychiatric hospitals in Germany participated in the study. Symptoms of eating disorders were evaluated with the German version of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), and aggression was measured with the Short Questionnaire for the Assessment of Aggression Factors (K-FAF) and by considering the violent index offense. Data were analyzed by generalized linear models, with age and body mass index (BMI) included as covariates. Results: Higher EDE-Q scores significantly predicted increased spontaneous aggression and excitability. However, no significant association was found between eating disorder symptoms and reactive aggression or the likelihood of a violent index offense. Age and BMI did not significantly influence any aggression subscales. Conclusions: The findings suggest that in patients with substance use disorder, eating disorder symptoms may be linked to heightened internalized forms of aggression. These results support the clinical relevance of screening for eating disorder symptoms in forensic psychiatric settings and integrating dietary interventions into therapeutic efforts to manage aggression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Substance Abuse in the Psychiatric Population)
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