Dual disorders
Drug use disorders can have devastating consequences on affected individuals as well as their families and communities. Such disorders are associated with lost productivity, security challenges, crime and myriad negative health and social consequences. The care and treatment of individuals with drug use disorders also exacts a heavy toll on public health networks. This situation is further exacerbated by the fact that 50-80% of people with drug use disorders are also affected by mental health conditions resulting in dual disorders, which are associated with increases in emergency department admissions and psychiatric hospitalizations, higher risk of relapse to drug use and increased likelihood of premature death, including from suicide.
Under the auspices of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, in 2020 a meeting of the UNODC/WHO Informal Scientific Network was convened to discuss the management of dual disorders. The discussion focused on strategies linking science, policy and clinical practice to further enhance the management of psychiatric comorbidities in drug use disorders. The resulting publication,
Managing dual disorders: a statement by the Informal Scientific Network, UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, highlights fourteen key recommendations specifically underlining the importance of a non-discriminatory approach, the ‘no wrong door’ principle as well as the need for support from policymakers. UNODC and WHO are currently working on a joint publication on this topic.