Dual diagnosis, also called co-occurring disorder, dual disorder, or comorbidity, means that a person has a diagnosis of both substance use disorder and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis is when a person has both an addiction and a mental health condition. Sometimes, the addiction part is addressed while the mental health condition is not being treated. Ashish Bhatt explains the importance of accurately diagnosing and treating patients with a dual diagnosis.
Dual diagnosis is when a person is diagnosed with two or more conditions that occur simultaneously. While dual diagnosis is often used with respect to mental illness and substance abuse, it can refer to any combination of physical conditions that occur in the same person. If you go to a medical professional and they find two different but the same problems, such as high blood pressure and heart disease or cancer and diabetes, it will be a dual diagnosis. The term dual diagnosis describes a situation in which a person has a developmental disability and a mental health problem.
People who have substance use disorders and mental health disorders are diagnosed with co-occurring disorders or dual disorders. This is also sometimes called a dual diagnosis. Compare that to co-occurring disorders, in which mental illness led a person to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol, or the devastating effects and brain damage that addiction entails led to the development of mental illness. Sometimes, treatment may include helping families and caregivers adjust the support and expectations of the person with a dual diagnosis.
One study found that people with schizophrenia showed only a 7% prevalence of problem drug use in the year before the interview and 21% reported problem use some time before that. In the United States, when attempting to assess the prevalence of dual diagnosis, it was found that 47% of clients with schizophrenia had a substance use disorder at some point in their lives, and the odds of developing a substance use disorder were significantly higher among patients with a psychotic than in those who do not have a psychotic illness. It is not always possible to match the symptoms or behaviors of a dual-diagnosed person with a specific psychiatric disorder. Mental health professionals should diagnose and treat these individuals appropriately and appropriately because of the potentially serious consequences associated with this disorder.
Dual diagnosis was first identified in the 1980s among people with severe mental illness and coexisting substance abuse disorders. Dual diagnosis (also called co-occurring disorders, COD, or dual pathology) is the condition of having a mental illness and a comorbid substance use disorder. People diagnosed with co-occurring disorders often need more intensive treatment because of the complexity of their case, which emphasizes the importance of doctors providing effective and efficient treatment to these patients. In the case of a dual diagnosis, the structured and safe environment of an inpatient rehabilitation center can be extremely beneficial.
Counselors can conduct group and individual therapy sessions, while residents can take advantage of any of the activities and services offered by the center. This call for research is also needed to identify effective treatment approaches for other dual-diagnosed subgroups of the population, such as military personnel.
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