Clinical guideline for the treatment of dual pathology in the adult population

The Elephant in the Room: A Systematic Review of the Application and Effects of Psychological Treatments for Pregnant Women with Dual Pathology (Mental Health and Substance-Related Disorders)

PURPOSE

Maternal mental health and substance use, referred to as dual pathology, represent significant concerns associated with adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, a prevalence higher than commonly anticipated. Nonetheless, a notable dearth exists ofevidence-based treatment protocols tailored for pregnant women with dual pathology.

METHODS

A systematic review, adhering to the PRISMA methodology, was conducted.

RESULTS

Out of the 57 identified papers deemed potentially relevant, only 2were ultimately included. Given the limited number of studies assessing the efficacy of psychological interventions utilizing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for both mental health and substance misuse, and considering the diverse objectives and measures employed, definitive conclusions regarding the effectiveness of psychological interventions in this domain prove challenging.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal mental health appears to be the proverbial "elephant in the room". The development of specialized and integrated interventions stands as an imperative to effectively address this pressing issue. As elucidated in the present review, these interventions ought to be grounded in empirical evidence. Furthermore, it is essential that such interventions undergo rigorous evaluation through RCTs to ascertain their efficacy levels. Ultimately, the provision of these interventions by psychology/psychiatric professionals, both within clinical practice and the RCTs themselves, is recommended to facilitate the generalizability of the results to specialized settings.

The Efficacy of Animal-Assisted Therapy in Patients with Dual Diagnosis: Schizophrenia and Addiction

The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of an animal-assisted-therapy (AAT) program in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and substance-use disorders in residential treatment in order to intervene in the remission of negative and positive symptoms and improve quality of life and adherence to treatment, favouring the clinical stabilization of patients who participate in the AAT program, within the context of a mental-illness-treatment device. This was a quasi-experimental prospective study with intersubject and intrasubject factors. The sample comprised 36 patients (21 in the experimental group and 15 in the control group) who were evaluated at three time points (in the 3rd, 6th, and 10th sessions). The program lasted 3 months and consisted of 10 sessions that were implemented once a week, with a maximum participation of 10 patients per group. The participants were evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for schizophrenia and the Life Skills Profile-20 (LSP-20) questionnaire. We observed a decrease in the positive symptoms of psychosis (F: 27.80, p = 0.001) and an improvement in functionality (F: 26.70, p < 0.001) as the sessions progressed. On the basis of these results, we concluded that AAT seems to be valid as a coadjuvant therapy as part of the rehabilitation processes of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and addiction-spectrum disorders (dual diagnosis).

Clozapine use in patients with schizophrenia and a comorbid substance use disorder: A systematic review

Lifetime prevalence of substance use disorders (SUD) in patients with schizophrenia is nearly 50%. Nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis are the substances most frequently used, with a high percentage of poly-substance users. There are few available data about pharmacological approaches in this population. Amongst antipsychotics, clozapine shows positive evidence in the literature. The aim of the present article is to provide systematic review on the efficacy of clozapine in SUD improvement in schizophrenic patients. PRISMA recommendations were followed (PROSPERO id: CRD42017059299). Five studies for nicotine use and nine studies for SUD (other than nicotine) were analyzed. Regarding nicotine use, results from randomized controlled trials (RCT) have found a decrease in nicotine use after 12 weeks of 200-600mg/day clozapine, as compared with lower doses. In SUD improvement (other than nicotine), RCT have shown superiority of clozapine when compared with risperidone, in short-term studies (from 4 to 12 weeks) performed in cannabis users. In long-term studies (1 year), clozapine was equal to ziprasidone in reducing cannabis use and equal to treatment as usual in reducing alcohol use. We conclude that positive results on nicotine use are scarce and derived from studies with a low degree of evidence. Evidence of clozapine on SUD (other than nicotine) is stronger, especially when clozapine is compared with first generation antipsychotics in poly-substance users. When compared with second generation antipsychotics, clozapine was superior to risperidone but equal to olanzapine or ziprasidone in poly-substance and cannabis users.