Treatment Advocacy Center releases new evidence brief on serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders Hello John, Treatment Advocacy Center’s Office of Research and Public Affairs published a new evidence brief today that sheds light on the numerous challenges faced by people with serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders. The report, “Dual Diagnosis: Serious Mental Illness and Co-occurring Substance Use Disorders,” offers an extensive analysis of over 150 separate sources of prominent existing research, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Mental Health Surveillance Study, one of the most robust surveys of mental health facilities in the country. Key insights from the report include:  One in four people with serious mental illness also have a substance use disorder. Only 12.7% of people with co-occurring serious mental illness and substance use disorders received any treatment for both conditions in 2019. People with serious mental illness are more likely to smoke tobacco and misuse alcohol compared to those without mental illness. Cannabis is one of the most common drugs used by people with serious mental illness. Almost 40% of individuals with serious mental illness used marijuana in 2019. A dual diagnosis can have serious consequences in an individual’s life: People with co-occurring disorders are more vulnerable to becoming involved with the criminal justice system. They are also more likely to experience homelessness and it is much more difficult for them to access the necessary treatment that addresses both disorders. Evidence-based treatments to target concurrent substance use disorder and mental illness do exist. However, most individuals face substantial barriers to accessing quality treatment. “Policy solutions should include the better integration of the mental health and substance use treatment systems and an increase in the availability of integrated dual-disorder treatment programs,” write co-authors Elizabeth Sinclair Hancq, Kelli South and Molly Vencel. Join the authors for an online discussion about their findings on Wednesday, March 24 at 12:00 EST. We hope you’ll join us by registering here. Treatment Advocacy Center | Website ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Treatment Advocacy Center | 200 N Glebe Rd, Ste 801, Arlington, VA 22203 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Customer Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!