What are the latest advances in the treatment of co-occurring mental illness and addiction?
The term “co-occurring disorders” refers to the presence of two or more illnesses or disorders in a person at the same time. An estimated 10 million people who have substance use disorders have a co-occurring mental illness. Mental health and addiction treatment professionals face the daunting task of recognizing the additional condition or conditions, referring the individual to the proper provider for diagnosis of the co-occurring condition, and ensuring care coordination. Due to the enormous human and economic toll caused by co-occurring disorders, policymakers, providers and funders have long sought better means to assess individuals and the most appropriate treatments. Historically, seamless provision of services has been an elusive goal. Substance abuse and mental health systems generally operate independently of each other. As such, both have developed their own unique cultures, languages and jargon, administrative structures and funding mechanisms. A key challenge in treating t
