Date of Graduation
Spring 5-17-2019
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD)
College/School
School of Nursing and Health Professions
Department
Psychology
Program
Clinical Psychology (PsyD)
First Advisor
Dr. Brent Ferm
Second Advisor
Dr. Michelle Montagno
Third Advisor
Dr. Christine Wright
Abstract
Historically, patients with dual diagnosis have been subjected to ineffective treatment and negative attitudes from healthcare providers. Further, these patients are plagued with myriad afflictions that exist beyond substance abuse and mental illness. The treatments and collateral damage associated with the diagnosis impose excessive healthcare costs and can be of significant detriment to society. Largely, patients suffering from dual diagnosis do not receive adequate treatment. As such, psychiatric emergency services are frequently utilized as an alternate treatment, wherein the main focus of care is on the substance abuse alone. This study argues that solely treating the substance abuse is not sufficient for positive outcomes because the substance use, in most cases, is merely a self-discovered treatment for an underlying mental illness. This study proposes an integrative model that involves both substance abuse counseling and mental health counseling in order to treat this suffering population more effectively.
Using archival data from the years 2014–2017, this study examined the effectiveness of integrative care among dual diagnosis patients at a methadone clinic in San Francisco, California. The study measured whether patients with dual diagnosis, who were assigned to both Substance Abuse Counseling (SAC) and Mental Health Counseling (MHC), differ in the mean number of Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) visits from patients with dual diagnosis receiving SAC alone. Additionally, this study measured whether females and males differ in the mean number of PES visits and whether age positively or negatively correlates with the number of PES visits. Independent samples t-tests were used to measure mean differences of PES visits between treatment groups (MHC+SAC vs. SAC only) and mean difference of PES visits between gender. Pearson correlation was used to measure correlation between age and PES visits.
Results revealed that patients receiving integrative care (MHC+SAC) had fewer PES visits than those receiving SAC only, suggesting that integrative care is a more effective treatment model than SAC only when treating patients with dual diagnosis. Additionally, although females accessed PES less than males, there were no statistically significant differences found. Lastly, there was no correlation found between age and number of PES visits.
Recommended Citation
Scott, D. (2019). Efficacy of Integrated Mental Health Care with Dual Diagnosis Patients and Their Utilization of Psychiatric Emergency Services. Retrieved from https://repository.usfca.edu/diss/482
Included in
Clinical and Medical Social Work Commons, Clinical Psychology Commons, Community Health Commons, Community Psychology Commons, Counseling Commons, Health Psychology Commons, Multicultural Psychology Commons, Other Mental and Social Health Commons, Psychiatry and Psychology Commons, Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy Commons, Substance Abuse and Addiction Commons
