Co-occurring disorders are serious issues in the United States’ behavioral health system; as individuals with both a mental health disorder and substance use disorder face high risks of overdose, homelessness, incarceration, and suicide. Data from the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics showed that approximately 2.6% of the adult population (approximately 6.8 million adults) in the U.S. had co-occurring disorders within the past year and experience fragmented care.
Adolescents face a similar situation as an estimated 3.3% of all U.S. adolescents had both a substance use disorder and a major depressive episode causing significant impairment. Adolescents with a depression are at a much higher risk for binge drinking and/or using illegal substances than their peers. If this is not addressed quickly, these adolescents can develop co-occurring disorders and be treated as such by both systems (mental health and substance use).
Families have reported being “bounced around” between two separate systems (mental health and substance use) in search of help for their loved ones. Clinicians and advocates believe the way to solve this issue is through integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders, where one team treats both mental health and substance use disorders together versus telling patients they need to “get sober first”.
Those who suffer from both addictions and mental health disorders report that stigma is one of the largest obstacles to receiving the help they need. The stigma associated with being addicted to a substance and the stigma that goes along with being diagnosed with a mental illness are what lead to double-dipping for those individuals. Many of those individuals have experienced some form of trauma, poverty, or discrimination, which makes it very difficult to trust in the systems established to assist them. Programs that utilize a human-centered approach (and meet individuals where they are located – on the street, in shelters, in community centers) have a significant chance of making a positive impact.
Experts in policy have called for an increase in funding for co-occurring disorders, stricter enforcement of parity laws to ensure insurance coverage of integrated treatment, and further training provided to clinicians who do feel they are prepared to treat individuals with both conditions. As our nation continues to deal with deaths due to overdose and the increased demand for mental health services, recognition and response to constituents with co-occurring disorders will be a key factor in developing viable solutions.
Source: National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics – Substance Abuse and Addiction Statistics
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