Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Reviewing the Clinical LandscapeFull AccessAddressing Co-Occurring DisordersPedro Ruiz, M.D.Pedro RuizSearch for more papers by this author, M.D.Published Online:16 Oct 2017https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.focus.154S11AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail During the past decade, there has been within the field of psychiatry and mental health at large a lot of attention to and exploration of the concept of “dual disorders,” or co-occurring disorders. In the beginning of this period, a few nations, but primarily Spain, began to focus on and address professionally the concept, and Spain has held several congresses to address the issue. To have co-occurring disorders means to have addictive disorders in conjunction with other psychiatric disorders, such as depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, or other mental illnesses and conditions. More recently, the concept of co-occurring disorders has gained acceptance within the field of psychiatry among other nations, including Canada, the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Portugal, and France. In Spain, for instance, the Spanish Society of Dual Disorders (SEPD) has organized annual congresses for several years. Along these lines, in 2015, a worldwide psychiatry and mental health society, the World Association on Dual Disorders (WADD), was also created.In March 2017, SEPD and WADD held an international congress in Madrid with more than 2,000 mental health professionals in attendance and representation from all over the world. Research has been a high priority in these two organizations, with some very good results; for instance, research has demonstrated that patients who suffer from affective and anxiety disorders, as well as abuse of substances (drugs), were more commonly women (1); similarly, men with psychotic disorders were more frequently associated with the co-occurring abuse of drugs (2). Gender differences were also observed vis-à-vis drugs of abuse; among men, use of psychostimulants was common (43.5%), as was use of cannabis (30.6%), whereas among women, the most common drugs of choice were psychodepressants (60.9%) (1, 2). Similarly, it has been demonstrated in Spain that affective disorders are the most frequent comorbid disorders (21.6%), followed by anxiety disorders (1.7%) and schizophrenia (3%) (1, 3); also in Spain, it has been demonstrated that approximately 30%–50 % of the population who receive psychiatric treatment also have an associated substance use disorder (3, 4). The Portuguese Association of Dual Pathology has recently published a book addressing the concept of dual pathology (5). Recently, in the United States, much attention has been given to the concept of co-occurring disorders, resulting in several publications on the topic (6). In essence, patients who have both substance abuse and mental illness often demonstrate symptoms that are persistent, severe, and resistant to treatment. It is obvious, however, that more attention and investigational efforts need to be given to this topic.Dr. Ruiz is president of the World Association on Dual Disorders (WADD) and clinical professor of the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston.References1 Miquel L, Roncero C, García-García G, et al.: Gender differences in dually diagnosed outpatients. Subst Abus 2013; 34:78–80Crossref, Google Scholar2 Westreich L, Guedj P, Galanter M, et al.: Differences between men and women in dual-diagnosis treatment. Am J Addict 1997; 6:311–317Crossref, Google Scholar3 Roncero C, Gómez-Baeza S, Vázquez JM, et al.: Perception of Spanish professionals on therapeutic adherence of dual diagnosis patients. Actas Esp Psiquiatr 2013; 41:319–329Google Scholar4 Gual A: Dual diagnosis in Spain. Drug Alcohol Rev 2007; 26:65–71Crossref, Google Scholar5 Daigre C, Roncero C, Rodriguez-Cintas L, et al.: Adult ADHA screening in alcohol-dependent patients using the Wender-Utah Rating Scale and the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale. J Atten Disord 2015; 19:328–334Crossref, Google Scholar6 Kaminer Y: Youth Substance Abuse and Co-Occurring Disorders. Arlington, VA, American Psychiatric Association Publishing, 2015Crossref, Google Scholar FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited byElectroconvulsive Therapy as a Corrector for Certain Side Effects of Antipsychotic Therapy9 May 2020 | Acta Biomedica Scientifica (East Siberian Biomedical Journal), Vol. 5, No. 2 Volume 15Issue 4 Fall 2017Pages 9s-10sTreating the Invisible Wounds of War: Focus on PTSD and TBI PDF download
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