The Effectiveness of an Integrated Treatment Approach for Clients With Dual Diagnoses

Abstract

Objective: A randomized experiment tested the effectiveness of adding a psychoeducationally oriented group therapy intervention, Good Chemistry Groups, to standard inpatient chemical dependency services for clients dually diagnosed with mental and substance dependence disorders. Method: Ninety-seven clients were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 48) and a control group (n = 49). Outcome variables included drug and alcohol use, participation in self-help support group meetings, incarceration days, psychiatric symptoms, psychiatric inpatient admissions, compliance with prescribed psychotropic medication plans, and composite scores on the Addiction Severity Index. Results: No significant treatment effects were found on any of the outcome variables. The findings were generally consistent with those of prior controlled studies. Conclusion: Good Chemistry Groups did not add to the effects of standard treatments for dually diagnosed clients. Practitioners should continue to develop and evaluate alternative integrated treatment approaches that might prove to be more effective than this one.