Addressing Dual Disorders in a Medium-Term Admission Unit.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Dual disorder (co-occurring mental illness and substance use) presents significant functional challenges.
• Effective rehabilitative therapies are crucial for patients with dual disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze sociodemographic and clinical variables of patients with and without dual disorders admitted to a Medium-Stay Unit (MSU).
• To evaluate parameters related to hospitalization and discharge for patients with dual disorders.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of patient medical records from Castellón Provincial Hospital Consortium (2017-2018).
• Comparison of patients with dual disorders versus those without, focusing on clinical and hospitalization data.

Main Results:

• Dual disorder patients constituted 55.2% of admissions.
• They were more frequently male, younger, had earlier illness onset, fewer comorbidities, and shorter hospital stays.
• Schizophrenia spectrum disorders with substance use were most common; 98.2% responded well to MSU admission.
• Higher doses of depot paliperidone may be necessary for dual disorder patients.

Conclusions:

• Dual disorder patients exhibit distinct sociodemographic and clinical profiles.
• Medium-stay psychiatric units are effective for this population.
• Treatment strategies, including pharmacotherapy like depot paliperidone, may require adjustment for dual disorder patients.