Client and service characteristics associated with addiction treatment completion of clients with co-occurring disorders.

The study examines client and service characteristics of addiction treatment completers and non-completers with co-occurring disorders (COD). On demographic variables, completers were more likely to be male and homeless. In the psychiatric domain, a greater proportion of completers received diagnoses of depression and generalized anxiety disorder, whereas non-completers were more often diagnosed with bipolar disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Counselor and client characteristics in mental health versus substance abuse treatment settings providing services for co-occurring disorders.

The study compares counselor and client characteristics of state-funded co-occurring disorder (COPSD) programs in mental health (MH) versus substance abuse (SA) settings. SA counselors more often had graduate degrees and MH counselors rated their knowledge and skills lower on two of nine COPSD best practice principles. MH clients were more frequently diagnosed with schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder, whereas SA clients displayed evidence of greater substance use severity and had higher rates of treatment completion and abstinence at discharge.

Integrated versus parallel treatment of co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders.

The study examines 1-year treatment outcomes of 216 individuals with co-occurring severe and persistent mental illness and substance use disorders who were assigned to an integrated or parallel treatment condition. Comparisons indicated that the integrated group achieved greater reductions in the incidence of psychiatric hospitalization and arrest. The results of this study support the enhanced effectiveness of integrated treatment in decreasing the use of higher cost crisis-oriented services in clients with severe mental illness and substance use disorders.

Predicting couples' response to marital therapy: a comparison of short- and long-term predictors.

This study identified predictors of couples' response to marital therapy at termination and 4 years posttreatment for 55 couples receiving either behavioral or insight-oriented marital therapy. Couples were more likely to remain maritally distressed at termination if either spouse reported high levels of negative marital affect or depressive symptomatology at intake. Couples were more likely to be divorced or maritally distressed 4 years after completing therapy if spouses' intake measures reflected high levels of negative marital affect, poor problem-solving skills, low psychological resilience, high levels of depression, low emotional responsiveness, or if neither spouse was employed at a semiskilled or higher level position.