Treatment of psychiatric impairment complicated by co-occurring substance use: impact on rehospitalization.
This study employs available clinical data to examine the impact of a structured ward-based extended treatment program for the co-occurring issues of psychiatric impairments and substance abuse as well as a short-term variant of that program for acute care settings. While individuals with these co-occurring difficulties are often considered to be relatively refractory to treatment with inevitably poorer outcomes, the data from this study indicate that significantly decreased rehospitalization rates were realized as a result of these interventions. The implications of our procedures for treatment in similar settings, as well as how treatment in such settings can be evaluated, are discussed.
Donat
Dennis C
DC
Psychological Services, Western State Hospital, Stanton, VA 24402-2500, USA. ddonat@wsh.state.va.us
Haverkamp
John
J
D015897:Comorbidity; D006760:Hospitalization; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D012114:Residential Treatment; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*