Effectivenessof Cbt Andfamily Intervention

substance misuse is a prominent problem in the lives of many patients with schizophrenia (Chambers et al, 2001; Graham et al, 2001), and clinical guidelines for the integrated treatment of these ‘dual disorders’ are beginning to emerge (Mueser et al, 2003). Furthermore, substance misuse can take a heavy toll on the carers of persons with schizophrenia (Dixon et al, 1995), yet patients with dual disorders whose family members continue to be involved in their lives may have a better course of illness than people whose carers provide no support (Clark, 2001). Although some research suggests that integrated mental health and substance misuse services are more effective than traditional segregated services (Drake et al, 2001), controlled research leaves many unanswered questions as to the impact of integrated treatment (Ley, 2003), and more research is clearly needed, especially regarding the effects of family intervention for dual disorders.