Drug and alcohol trajectories among adults with schizophrenia: data from the CATIE study.

OBJECTIVE

The primary aim is to describe drug and alcohol trajectories in adults with schizophrenia.

METHOD: Growth mixture models were used to examine disordered and non-disordered use and abstinence in the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness study.

RESULTS

Five classes - always abstinent; fluctuating use, abuse, and occasional abstinence; occasional (ab)use; stopped (ab)use; abusing - fit best. Overlap exists between always abstinent drug and alcohol classes; less overlap exists across other classes.

CONCLUSION

There is heterogeneity in drug and alcohol use among adults with schizophrenia. The lack of overlap between classes, save always abstinent, suggests modeling drug and alcohol use separately.