Evaluating professionally operated and self-help programs for the seriously mentally ill

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Intensive community-based programs, such as assertive community treatment (ACT), are increasingly used for individuals with serious mental illness.
• Despite rapid development, ACT programs have historically lacked robust empirical support.
• Existing research on ACT presents mixed findings, necessitating further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of assertive community treatment (ACT) for the seriously mentally ill.
• To contribute to the existing body of literature on ACT, addressing inconsistencies in previous findings.

Main Methods:

• A randomized study design was employed to assess ACT.
• The study involved a 12-month follow-up period.
• Methodological considerations included analysis of differential dropout rates between groups.

Main Results:

• The randomized study provides support for the effectiveness of assertive community treatment (ACT).
• ACT demonstrated an ability to prevent rehospitalization.
• However, ACT showed limited impact on other crucial domains such as social relationships, housing stability, and employment.

Conclusions:

• Assertive community treatment (ACT) is a valuable intervention for preventing rehospitalization in serious mental illness.
• Methodological limitations, including differential dropout and a short follow-up, warrant cautious interpretation of findings.
• Further research should explore the comparative effectiveness of ACT against self-help programs, which may offer broader societal integration benefits.