Drug and alcohol trajectories among adults with schizophrenia: data from the CATIE study.

Objective: The primary aim is to describe drug and alcohol trajectories in adults with schizophrenia.

Method: Growth mixture models were used to examine disordered and non-disordered use and abstinence in the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness study.

Results: Five classes - always abstinent; fluctuating use, abuse, and occasional abstinence; occasional (ab)use; stopped (ab)use; abusing - fit best. Overlap exists between always abstinent drug and alcohol classes; less overlap exists across other classes.

Conclusion: There is heterogeneity in drug and alcohol use among adults with schizophrenia. The lack of overlap between classes, save always abstinent, suggests modeling drug and alcohol use separately.