Atypical antipsychotics in the treatment of patients with a dual diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorders and substance use disorders: the results of a randomized comparative study

The article presents the results of a randomized comparative study of Aripiprazole and Quetiapine in the treatment of patients with a dual diagnosis: schizophrenia and substance use disorders. During the study, 90 of the 266 male patients were screened. Among them, 54 individuals (60%) had a previously established diagnosis of mental disorder and 36 patients (40%) had no established psychiatric diagnosis. They were randomly randomized into three groups of 30 patients, each receiving an antipsychotic: Aripiprazole at a dose of up to 20 mg daily, Quetiapine at a dose of up to 600 mg daily, or Haloperidol at a dose of up to 30 mg daily. The efficacy of Aripiprazole and Quetiapine was evaluated using the following scales: PANSS, BPRS, VAS, and Substance Craving Scale (SCS). Drug safety was assessed by the development of adverse events, serious adverse events, or adverse reactions. Study results demonstrated the efficacy of atypical antipsychotics in the three groups. Analysis of independent variables showed significant differences between Aripiprazole and Haloperidol in PANSS and BPRS scores by Visit 4, in VAS scores by Visit 3, and in SCS scores by Visit 2. Intergroup analysis of independent variables showed significant differences between Quetiapine and Haloperidol in PANSS, VAS, and SCS scores by Visit 4. Intergroup analysis of independent variables showed significant differences between Aripiprazole and Quetiapine in the VAS and SCS scores. The correlation analysis allowed drawing conclusions about the close connection of the symptoms of schizophrenia and substance use disorders in patients with a dual diagnosis.