Research examining complementary therapies for co-occurring psychosis and AOD use is rare. One RCT has examined the effects of auricular acupuncture as an adjunct to antipsychotics among people with co-occurring schizophrenia and AOD use [1013]. In this study, auricular acupuncture (which involves the placement of acupuncture needles in the ears) was given 4-6 times a week, for 20-40 minutes a session, for up to 20 sessions. Relative to people who received antipsychotics alone, those also receiving acupuncture showed improved treatment adherence to antipsychotics after 10 sessions. Relative to baseline levels, all participants also showed decreases in AOD cravings after 10 sessions, and further decreases in AOD cravings after 20 sessions. However, there were no differences in psychiatric symptom severity from baseline for either group and psychotic symptoms were not examined. These findings require replication to be sure of their effectiveness.
While there has been little research examining complementary and alternative therapies for people with co-occurring psychosis and AOD use, there have been some promising treatment outcomes for people with single disorder psychotic disorders for horticultural therapy [1014], music therapy [1015], yoga [1016], and a gluten-free diet [1017]. It should be noted however, that the majority of participants in these studies were also receiving antipsychotic medication and as such, the utility of these complementary and alternative approaches as standalone therapies for people with single disorder psychotic disorders has not been established.