Dual Diagnosis Treatment Programs

Dual diagnosis treatment programs are tailored to meet the needs of patients who have both an alcohol or drug dependence and a mental illness. Many of these dual diagnosis programs use an integrated approach that simultaneously treats an individual's psychological and substance abuse problems. The recognition and treatment of individuals with co-occurring disorders is a relatively recent development in health care that has shown great promise while also struggling to gain universal acceptance.

Facts and Figures

• There is a pressing need for dual diagnosis treatment programs. Consider the following statistics:
  * More than one-third of alcohol abusers and more than half of drug abusers also have a serious mental illness.
  * Compared with the general population, persons with psychological disorders are twice as likely to also suffer from a substance abuse problem.
  * Dual diagnosis patients often fare poorly without treatment. Studies have found high rates of homelessness and suicide among individuals who have a mental illness and an alcohol or drug dependency.

History

• The first dual diagnosis treatment program was introduced in 1984 at a state outpatient psychiatric facility in New York. A year later, training seminars on treating dual diagnosis patients started being held across the nation. The problems facing dual diagnosis patients were brought to the public's attention in a 1987 article in "Time" magazine. In the two ensuing decades, the number of dual diagnosis treatment programs has grown to meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of individuals who are "doubly troubled" by mental illness and substance abuse.

Function

• To address patients' mental health and substance abuse problems, dual diagnosis treatment programs are structured so that clinicians can provide coordinated and unified care. This seamless approach to treatment eliminates the need for consultation between separate teams or departments.
  Patients also must be self-motivated by a sincere desire to get better for dual diagnosis treatment programs to succeed.

Significance

• Dual diagnosis treatment programs are now available at more than half of Veterans Administration hospitals, as well as scores of state and private facilities throughout the U.S. and other countries.
  However, the availability of dual diagnosis treatment programs remains sorely limited. Many mental health agencies are not well prepared for patients who have abuse problems. Similarly, a significant number of substance abuse facilities discourage the use of any drugs, including medication for clients with serious psychiatric disorders.

Features

• Dual diagnosis treatment programs can include an array of features and services offered on either an inpatient or outpatient basis. Patients may receive behavior-modification training and counseling, as well as psychotropic medications. They also can participate in support groups. Other services might consist of employment and housing assistance, family education and counseling and even financial and relationship management advice.