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Dual diagnosis patients in substance abuse treatment: relationship of general coping and substance‐specific coping to 1‐year outcomes
Author(s) -
Moggi Franz,
Ouimette Paige Crosby,
Moos Rudolf H.,
Finney John W.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1046/j.1360-0443.1999.941218056.x
Subject(s) - dual diagnosis , coping (psychology) , abstinence , substance abuse , psychiatry , medicine , substance abuse treatment , clinical psychology , maladaptive coping
Aims. This study examined general and substance‐specific coping skills and their relationship to treatment climate, continuing care and 1‐year post‐treatment functioning among dual diagnosis patients (i.e. co‐occurrence of substance use and psychiatric disorders). Design. In a prospective multi‐site study, dual diagnosis patients participating in substance abuse treatment were assessed at intake, discharge and at a 1‐year follow‐up. Setting. Patients were recruited from 15 substance abuse treatment programs, which were selected from a larger pool of 174 inpatient treatment programs in the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Participants. A total of 981 male dual diagnosis patients participated in the study. Measurements. Assessments included general and substance‐specific coping skills, treatment climate, continuing outpatient care, abstinence and clinically significant psychiatric symptoms. Findings. Dual diagnosis patients modestly improved on general and substance‐specific coping skills over the 1‐year follow‐up period. Patients who were in programs with a 'dual diagnosis treatment climate' and who participated in more 12‐Step self‐help groups showed slightly more gains in adaptive coping. Both general and substance‐specific coping were associated with abstinence, but only general coping was associated with freedom from significant psychiatric symptoms. Conclusions. Enhancing general and substance‐specific coping skills in substance abuse treatment may reduce dual diagnosis patients' post‐treatment substance use and improve their psychological functioning.