Coping Strategies in Male Patients under Treatment for Substance Use Disorders and/or Severe Mental Illness: Influence in Clinical Course at One-Year Follow-Up

Abstract

Coping strategies have an impact on substance use disorders (SUD), relapses, and clinical variables, but knowledge on this area is scarce. We explored the coping strategies used during treatment in patients with dual diagnosis (DD), SUD, and severe mental illness (SMI), and the relation with clinical course and relapses at one-year follow-up. A sample of 223 patients was divided into three groups depending on diagnosis: DD (N = 80; SUD with comorbid schizophrenia or major depressive disorder), SUD only (N = 80), and SMI only (N = 63; schizophrenia or major depressive disorder). MANCOVA analyses reflected differences in self-criticism and problem avoidance, with a higher use of these in the DD and SUD groups. The coping strategies used differed depending on the presence/absence of a SUD, but not depending on psychiatric diagnosis. At one-year follow-up, social support was the only strategy that predicted the presence of relapses in DD patients with schizophrenia (positively), and in SMI patients with major depressive disorder (negatively). Thus, social support was associated with relapses, but the relationship was different depending on psychiatric diagnosis. Further studies should analyze the implications of social support as a coping strategy in different mental disorders, as well as its usefulness in individualized interventions.