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A Prospective Study of Integrated Outpatient Treatment for Substance‐Abusing Schizophrenic Patients
Author(s) -
Hellerstein David J.,
Rosenthal Richard N.,
Miner Christian R.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
the american journal on addictions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.997
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-0391
pISSN - 1055-0496
DOI - 10.1111/j.1521-0391.1995.tb00256.x
Subject(s) - psychiatry , addiction treatment , substance abuse , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , substance abuse treatment , medicine , addiction , outpatient clinic
Forty‐seven psychiatric inpatients with concurrent RDC‐diagnosed schizophrenia and psychoactive substance use disorders were randomly assigned to one of two outpatient treatment programs: 1) integrated psychiatric and substance abuse treatment; or 2) non‐integrated treatment. Patients abused cocaine, alcohol, and marijuana, with over two‐thirds using all three drugs. At 4 months, 16 of 23 patients (69.6%) in integrated treatment remained in treatment vs. 9 of 24 (3 7.5%) in the nonintegrated treatment. Rehospitalization did not differ between groups, but treatment nonstarters had significantly more days in the hospital than those who began treatment. At 8 months, addiction and psychiatric severity decreased significantly for patients remaining in treatment. Engagement in integrated outpatient treatment may decrease rehospitalization, and lessen psychiatric and substance abuse severity.