Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-2xdlg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-16T22:38:45.404Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Assertive Community Treatment for Persons with Severe Mental Disorders: A Controlled Treatment Outcome Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2012

Elizabeth Hamernik
Affiliation:
The University of Queensland.
Kenneth I. Pakenham*
Affiliation:
The University of Queensland. kenp@psy.uq.edu.au
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr Kenneth I. Pakenham, Director, Behaviour Research and Therapy Centre, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland QLD 4072, Australia.
Get access

Abstract

The present study evaluated the efficacy of an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program for the seriously mentally ill. Outcomes of the program were assessed at baseline and 12-month follow-up and were compared with that of a control group, which received standard community care. Thirty-six subjects with serious mental disorders participated in the study. Dependent measures included number of hospital admissions and hospital bed days per year, life skills, quality of life, and psychiatric symptoms. Results of 2 x 2 (treatment/control group x baseline / 12-month follow-up) repeated measures ANOVAs indicated that, after 1 year, both treatments lead to a significant reduction in hospital admissions and bed days, and to improvement in life skills. ACT subjects evidenced a greater decrease in psychiatric symptoms compared to control group subjects. In general, markedly more ACT subjects showed reliable clinical change in life skills, quality of life, and psychiatric symptoms than control subjects. Although the ACT did produce greater clinical change than standard case management, it did not produce statistically greater improvement across most domains of functioning in the short term.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)