PREDICTING ACCEPTANCE OF TREATMENT IN MALE DUAL-DIAGNOSIS OUTPATIENTS

The authors studied a cohort of 128 male veterans undergoing preadmission screening for a specialized outpatient program for chronically mentally ill substance abusers. Demographic, substance abuse, and comorbid psychiatric variables were evaluated for their correlation with acceptance (44 patients) or rejection (84 patients) of the treatment offered. A later age at onset of both substance abuse and comorbid psychiatric illness significantly increased the likelihood of acceptance, as did the presence of a primary alcohol use disorder and the absence of current medical problems. A strong correlation was observed between the age at onset of substance abuse and comorbid psychiatric disorder, suggesting that in many dual-diagnosis patients the two disorders could be manifestations of a single process.