Citation

van Vugt MD, Kroon H, Delespaul PAEG, Mulder CL. Community Ment. Health J. 2014; 50(4): 460-465.

Affiliation

Department of Reintegration, Trimbos-institute, Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, PO Box 725, 3500 AS, Utrecht, The Netherlands, mvugt@trimbos.nl.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10597-013-9626-2

PMID

23771775

Abstract

This study examined the associations between substance abuse problems in severely mentally ill patients, outcome and Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model fidelity. In a prospective longitudinal study, ACT model fidelity and patient outcomes were assessed in 20 outpatient treatment teams using the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales, Camberwell Assessment of Needs short appraisal schedule and measures of service use. Five hundred and thirty severely mentally ill patients participated in the study. Substance abuse problems were assessed three times during a 2-year follow-up period. This study found that among patients with severe mental illness, patients with an addiction problem had more serious psychosocial problems at baseline. Substance abuse problems showed improvement over time, but this was not associated with ACT model fidelity. The study indicates that investment by teams to improve a patient's psychosocial situation can lead to improvements on substance problems.

Language: en