Integrated drug, alcohol and mental health services : an effective response to problems of dual diagnosis

Abstract

Both the ICD 10 and the DSM IV have indeterminate guidelines and criteria with regard to dual diagnosis. Until the 1980s, research on the relationship between mental health, psychosis in particular, and substance misuse mainly focused on the difficulties of identifying which disorder exists in people presenting symptoms of both. Today we are looking at different aspects of dual diagnosis where, rather than focusing on the cause of the problem, the problem itself is given priority. Unfortunately, due to a lack of resources, there is no uniformity in treatment delivery. North America has been at the forefront of establishing a dual diagnosis specialist unit; the services offered in Europe lag behind. In this paper, service commitment to such issues will be described and the problems encountered discussed.