[QUOTE]Substance use is common in people who have severe mental health problems. This combination not only aggravates mental health but is associated with higher rates of homelessness and poorer physical health. All of which substantially shorten the lives of this client group. We still lack even the most basic information about dual diagnosis such as how many people are affected and what type of intervention works (Munafo, 2013).
Treatment can be fragmented for this group with mental health services refusing to treat an individual until they are drug free. Likewise substance use services can be reluctant to treat any drug problem until the person’s mental health has improved. This catch-22 continues to frustrate not only the clients but workers who feel that integrating mental health and substance use would be most effective.[/QUOTE]
skipped a lot to get to conclusion.
[QUOTE]Conclusions
There is hope for this client group that recovery is possible, with the right treatment combination delivered over a long period of time. Specifically, people with co-occurring schizophrenia and substance use can be engaged and offered interventions that not only improve their mental health but reduce substance use. Most importantly, these people report significant improvement in quality of life.[/QUOTE]