A Manual-Guided Therapy for Co-Occurring Substance Use and Psychiatric Disorders Delivered by Community Addiction Counselors: Are Outcomes Different from Psychotherapy Delivered by Mental Health Professionals?

A Manual-Guided Therapy for Co-Occurring Substance Use and Psychiatric Disorders Delivered by Community Addiction Counselors: Are Outcomes Different from Psychotherapy Delivered by Mental Health Professionals?

Objective: Co-occurring substance use and psychiatric disorders are common in the general population and even more prevalent in clinical settings. Co-occurring disorders complicate treatment, and are associated with negative outcomes. Broad spectrum and implementation-friendly therapies may be both practical for providers and accessible to many patients with co-occurring disorders in routine addiction care settings. Methods: Within a randomized controlled trial design, 46 patients in methadone maintenance treatment, and with diagnosed cooccurring disorders, were assigned to either a manual-guided integrated therapy (Integrating Combined Therapies; ICT) delivered by onsite addiction counselors or to a non-manualized therapyas-usual (TAU), delivered by onsite mental health professionals. Participants in both study arms were also receiving methadone. Primary outcomes of substance use and psychiatric symptom severity, and therapy retention, were assessed from baseline to 3-, 6-, and 9-months.