Overview
Dual diagnosis treatment programs are iterations of substance use and mental health programs that acknowledge the co-occurrence of multiple mental health conditions and disorders alongside substance us.
The relationship is bidirectional: the self-medication hypothesis claims that people use substances as a way of addressing underlying health issues that could be a source of emotional or mental dysregulation, and substance use disorders can be a factor in exacerbating depression and anxiety. Contrary to historical assumptions in the treatment community, rather than stabilizing patients in sobriety prior to addressing trauma, recent studies show that addressing the trauma at the same time as coping skills for substance use is most effective, as trauma is often an underlying issue in substance use disorders to begin with.