Assertive Community Treatment for Patients Suffering From Substance Use Disorders

NCT ID: NCT03623178

Last Updated: 2025-05-21

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Total Enrollment: 29 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2017-12-01
• Study Completion Date: 2023-12-01

Brief Summary

According to the World Health Organization the population suffering from addiction problems is increasing. This population is characterized by multiple needs at the medico-psychosocial level. However, some of these patients, a particular subgroup that we are going to be interested in the so-called "high need" user group, find it difficult to access and stay in outpatient treatment programs. Persons with substance use disorder often present a chaotic use of the health system, including a high number of hospitalizations in times of crisis. These individuals also show very low utilization of health care services, accompanied by social marginalization. This can be related to relapses and poor social functioning. A high number of relapses occur particularly at the end of hospitalization. Community Interventions, such as Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) should increase the adherence of these patients to treatment by accompanying them in the community and helping them during sensitive and crisis periods. One of the objectives of the study is to evaluate the impact of ACT on the time until service disengagement, measuring treatment adherence. The secondary objectives of this study will be to see the effect of ACT on duration and type of hospitalizations, as well as the number of emergency room visits. The investigators will focus on the impact of ACT on the participant's medico-psycho-social network, substance use and other psychological variables. The investigators will also evaluate his or her psychiatric symptoms and global and social functioning. Life satisfaction and satisfaction with the care received will also be measured. The study will investigate this through questionnaires at the beginning of care, at three months, six months and 12 months after the start of the ACT intervention.

Conditions

Substance Use Disorders

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: COHORT
• Study Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

Assertive Community Treatment

patients with DSM-5 Diagnosis of SUD and one of the following criteria (1) present important functional difficulties, in at least one of the following areas: everyday life activities and maintaining a supportive social network, for minimum two years.

or (2) difficulties to attend their health care appointments, during the last 3 months.

Assertive Community Treatment

Intervention Type: OTHER

The intervention program is a type of very flexible community treatment. This is facilitated by a small case load ratio per health care professional (1:10). The healthcare workers are specialized in SUD treatment. The time of the intervention differs, there is no prefixed limitation but the duration of the intervention depends on the goals agreed on with the patient. The main objective of this intervention is to ensure an adherence to an addiction treatment program and establish or consolidate a stable healthcare and social network for the patient. The intervention aims to prevent service disengagement. The healthcare workers will explore specific patient needs and ensure that health and social services are better coordinated to fit their needs.

Interventions

Assertive Community Treatment

The intervention program is a type of very flexible community treatment. This is facilitated by a small case load ratio per health care professional (1:10). The healthcare workers are specialized in SUD treatment. The time of the intervention differs, there is no prefixed limitation but the duration of the intervention depends on the goals agreed on with the patient. The main objective of this intervention is to ensure an adherence to an addiction treatment program and establish or consolidate a stable healthcare and social network for the patient. The intervention aims to prevent service disengagement. The healthcare workers will explore specific patient needs and ensure that health and social services are better coordinated to fit their needs.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Substance use disorder
• Competent subjects, able to give informed consent
• French speaking

Exclusion Criteria

• Evidence of organic brain disease or learning disability based on the chart review.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University Hospital, Geneva

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Louise Penzenstadler

Principal investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Louise Penzenstadler, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University Hospital, Geneva

Locations

Service d'addictologie, HUG

Geneva, , Switzerland

Countries

Switzerland

Other Identifiers

ID 2017-01087

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id