Frontiers in Psychiatry (May 2022)

Dropout Rates in Psychosocial Interventions for People With Both Severe Mental Illness and Substance Misuse: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

  • Marianne Bouchard,
  • Tania Lecomte,
  • Tania Lecomte,
  • Briana Cloutier,
  • Jessica Herrera-Roberge,
  • Stéphane Potvin,
  • Stéphane Potvin

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.842329
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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IntroductionOver the years, many psychosocial interventions for individual having both a psychotic spectrum disorder and a substance use disorder diagnoses have been developed and studied. However, there is a high dropout rate among this clinical population.ObjectivesThis meta-analysis aims to replicate a previous meta-analysis on the effects of psychosocial treatment for dual disorders, while including and determining the dropout rates in those type of interventions.MethodBased on a Cochrane systematic review conducted in 2019, we conducted a meta-analysis including 40 randomized clinical trials on psychosocial treatment among persons suffering from schizophrenia spectrum disorder and substance use disorder.ResultsA dropout rate of 27,2% was obtained. Stimulants use significantly affected dropout rates. Age, gender, diagnosis, alcohol and cannabis abuse, and duration of treatment did not affect dropout rates.ConclusionThe 27,2% rate of dropout from psychosocial treatment highlights the need to engage participants having a dual diagnosis from the start by focusing on therapeutic alliance and motivation for treatment.

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