Substance Abuse Treatment and Psychiatric Comorbidity
Author Information
Author(s): Stefan G Kertesz, Alok Madan, Dennis Wallace, Joseph E Schumacher, Jesse B Milby
Primary Institution: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Hypothesis
Do benefits of addiction treatment spill over to improve psychiatric comorbidity among homeless cocaine-dependent individuals?
Conclusion
Behavioral addiction treatment led to a reduction in psychiatric disorder prevalence among cocaine-dependent homeless individuals over 6 months.
Supporting Evidence
- 73% of participants had at least one comorbid psychiatric disorder at baseline.
- 41% of participants had at least one comorbid psychiatric disorder at 6 months.
- There was a 32% reduction in the prevalence of comorbid non-addiction psychiatric disorders.
Takeaway
This study found that helping homeless people with drug problems also made them feel better mentally over time.
Methodology
Data from a behavioral addiction treatment trial were analyzed to assess psychiatric diagnoses at baseline and 6 months.
Potential Biases
Potential selection bias due to differences between participants who completed the study and those who did not.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size and lacked a non-treatment control group.
Participant Demographics
Predominantly young/middle-aged African-American males with some college education.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.12
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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