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Abstract
Over the past decade the evidence for the effectiveness of integrated treatment for people with co-occurring mental health and substance use problems has continued to expand. Yet there is still a paucity of evidence for which specific types of treatment interventions are effective for this client population. There is some emerging evidence for the effectiveness of group-based psychosocial interventions. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of an integrated psychosocial education and skill building group programme designed for people with co-occurring mental health and substance use problems. Assessment of pre-, mid- and post-group changes for participants of the programme using quantitative and qualitative outcome measures for some aspects of mental health and substance use was carried out. Participation in the programme resulted in significant improvements in depression, anxiety, stress and self-esteem. Motivation for making changes to substance use was enhanced and while the quantitative measure of psychological dependence on illicit drugs did not change, the qualitative measure of drug taking behaviour revealed considerable reductions. The findings of this preliminary programme evaluation show positive outcomes for people with dual diagnosis utilizing an integrated multimodal group-based intervention. Further studies addressing the identified limitations are indicated in order to expand and strengthen the currently underdeveloped evidence base for effective treatment interventions for people with co-occurring disorders.
Acknowledgements
The author would like to acknowledge Dr Robert King for his assistance with the statistical analyses and his support and guidance throughout the study.