Dual Diagnoses

Dual Diagnoses

Dual Diagnoses refers to concomitance condition of a human being victimized with mental illness as well prone to substance abuse. The term is synonymously used with co-morbidity, double trouble, concurrent disorders etc. Patients facing dual diagnoses are often reported with varying psychosocial issues and experience multiple interacting illnesses because of chemical dependency and psychiatric illness. Each illness is related how a person function in daily lives and relate to others (Drake, 1126-1129). Since both the diseases are interrelated and provide sufficient support that the illness might exacerbate each other and each disorder predisposes to relapse in each other disease.

According to the mental health administration, a minimum of 50 percent of two million Americans with severe illness are prone to substance abuse, as compared to 15 percent of the general population. Psychiatrists and health professionals propose that substance abuse is often accompanied by mental illness and these problems go hand in hand while the double troubles patient can be difficult to recognize (Drake, 1126-1129). Victims of dual diagnoses might be prone to numerous diagnoses in the broad spectrum of psychosis and substance abuse such as schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, and personality disorder for psychosis and heavy alcohol dependence, marijuana and other harmful drugs relate to substance abuse.

Psychological, Biological & Social Influences

The term originated from United States dating back to 1980s and has recently been adopted by United Kingdom. Patients with dual diagnoses have crucial needs in terms of health, social, emotional stressors, or situations, which can lead to harm by substances abuse on part of the patients. It is thought that in United Kingdom, population with dual diagnoses has been rising and about a third to the half of people with mental health problem are also reported with substance abuse while about half of the victims of substance abuse are reported with mental health problem (American Psychiatric Association, 181-183). One study revealed that about 36 percent of clients observed by London psychiatric service were dependent heavily on alcohol and drugs. The symptoms of both conditions are almost same and psychotic symptoms may also arise from substance induction such as cannabis intoxication that induces a transient, self-limiting psychotic disorder, schizophrenia, morbid jealousy, and alcoholic hallucinations. It can although, also provoke psychotic symptoms by withdrawal from alcohol. An estimation of 1/3 of MH patients also have sub mis problem while ½ of sub mis patients are reported to have MH problems including personality disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 181-183).

There lies a complex relationship between mental dual diagnoses (co-existence of substance misuse and mental illness) and social functioning and it seems evident that comparatively, people with substance abuse have better social functioning than that of people who develop psychosis. However, coexistence of substance abuse often leads to impaired relationships, self-denial, reduced self-efficacy and other social problems. These conditions may also be held responsible for poor social outcomes such as homelessness and housing problems (Peterson et al, 267-273).

Environmental factors are chain of circumstances and situations that influence a person's behavior and actions accordingly, individuals tend ...