Lindy Fox | PubMed Health

PubMed2002

A family intervention program for dual disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a rationale for working with families of clients with psychiatric and substance use disorder, and to describe a new program, family intervention for dual disorders (FIDD). METHOD: We developed and manualized the FIDD program, which includes both single-family and multiple-family group formats. We trained several clinicians at a local mental health center in the model and conducted a small pilot study. RESULTS: Clinicians were able to implement the program, and to successfully engage families in treatment. Most clients demonstrated significant improvements in substance abuse over one to two years of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The FIDD program is feasible and appears to promote collaboration between families and professionals, thereby improving the course of dual disorders. Controlled research is underway to evaluate the effects of the FIDD program on client and family outcomes.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Disulfiram treatment for alcoholism in severe mental illness.

Controlled research has shown that supervised disulfiram is an effective treatment for alcoholism. Despite this, little is known about the effects of disulfiram in persons with alcoholism and severe mental illness. We conducted comprehensive chart reviews on 33 patients with alcoholism and severe mental illness (70% schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder) who had been prescribed disulfiram. Twenty-one percent reported side effects from disulfiram, whereas significant psychiatric complications were not reported. Although 76% of patients reported drinking while on disulfiram, only 28% experienced negative reactions to alcohol. Sixty-four percent of the patients saw a remission of alcoholism for at least one year during a three-year follow-up, and 30% experienced a two-year remission. Disulfiram treatment was associated with decreases in days hospitalized but not with changes in work status. The results suggest disulfiram may be a useful adjunctive treatment for alcoholism in patients with severe mental illness and that controlled research is needed to evaluate its effects in this population.

Absenteeism↗