Substance Abuse: Caffeine Use Disorders

Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the world. In the United States, almost 90% of adults and children consume caffeine regularly. Habitual consumption of coffee, tea, or caffeinated soft drinks with meals is extremely common and may not be readily recognized as caffeine consumption. Although this cultural integration of caffeine use can make the identification of psychiatric disorders associated with caffeine use difficult, it is important for the psychiatrist to appreciate the role of caffeine as a psychoactive substance capable of producing a variety of psychiatric syndromes. In this chapter, five disorders associated with caffeine use are reviewed: caffeine intoxication, caffeine withdrawal, caffeine dependence, caffeine-induced anxiety disorder, and caffeine-induced sleep disorder.