Crosscut descriptive research study carried out at a rehabilitative unit of a psychiatric hospital, objectifying to feature the clinical sociodemographic profile of chemically dependents under treatment. Data of 350 records from 2010 were collected. Patients' mean age was 35.8 years: 39.4% were single; 67.3% studied up to incomplete high-school level; 45.1% were unemployed. Mean age of the first drug use was under 18 years: 54.9% were alcohol dependents and 43.7% were crack users; 79.6% took more than one substance, 99.4% reported daily use, 13% presented some kind of psychiatric comorbidities and 30.1%, clinical comorbidities; 69% had family members involved in substance abuse, among them, 48.3% were parents, alcohol standing out in 86% of the cases. Chemical dependency runs in varied ages, starting early in adolescence, causing significant changes in biological, family, social, and occupational scopes.
Nursing; Mental Health; Substance-Related Disorders