title: Treatment outcomes of an integrated residential programme for patients with schizophrenia and substance use disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  About half of all schizophrenic patients have a co-occurring substance use disorder, leading to poorer social and functional outcomes than obtained in non-abusing patients. To improve outcomes, integrated treatments have been designed that address the two conditions simultaneously. Results are, however, conflicting because the available effect studies are hampered by various methodological issues, among which are heterogeneous patient samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this comparative study, two well-described patient samples diagnosed with schizophrenia and co-morbid substance abuse disorders either received an integrated treatment (IDDT) or treatment as usual (TAU).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients in the IDDT condition showed significant reductions in illicit drug and alcohol use, improvements on all psychiatric symptom domains, reported higher quality of life and improved on social and community functioning. In contrast, patients' improvements in the TAU group were moderate and limited to a few substance use and psychiatric outcomes. The TAU group had significantly higher dropout rates 6 and 12 months after baseline, suggesting that the IDDT programme was more successful in committing patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that an integrated approach to schizophrenic patients and co-morbid substance use disorders is superior to standard treatment and may be considered as the treatment of choice for this patient group.
authors: Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute, Antwerp, Belgium. manuel.morrens@ua.ac.be
authors: Manuel
authors: M
authors: Morrens
authors: Bieke
authors: B
authors: Dewilde
authors: Bernard
authors: B
authors: Sabbe
authors: Geert
authors: G
authors: Dom
authors: Raoul
authors: R
authors: De Cuyper
authors: Franz
authors: F
authors: Moggi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012114:Residential Treatment / Q000379:methods*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult