The Effects of Assertive Community Treatment Including Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment on Nuisance Acts and Crimes in Dual-Diagnosis Patients

We investigated whether Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) combined with Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment (IDDT) is associated with a decrease in nuisance acts and crime convictions in dual-diagnosis repeated offenders. Forty-three patients were monitored from 21 months before until 12 months after the start of ACT-IDDT, using police data and the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS). Results show that while nuisance acts and convictions increased in the 21 months before the start of ACT-IDDT, nuisance acts decreased and convictions stabilized during the next 12 months. The decrease in nuisance acts was associated with a decrease in substance abuse.