NHS publishes guidance on mental health and substance misuse

The NHS has published new guidance addressing concerns aroused as a result of mental illness combined with substance misuse, known as dual diagnosis.

The Department of Health notes that mental health patients with dual diagnosis are less likely to exhibit compliance with their medication regimen and are at an increased risk of hospitalisation, contact with the criminal justice system and suicide.

Louis Appleby, national clinical director for mental health, has launched the guidance, which intends to improve the available care to patients suffering with both mental health and drug problems.

Included in the guidance is the recommendation that mental health staff have the skills to identify and manage patients experiencing problems with substance misuse, alongside calls for greater integration between these services and presentation of examples of best practice from frontline managers.

Mr Appleby said: “We want to ensure that dual diagnosis patients do not miss out on the care they need because mental health services and drug treatment services are not joined up.”

He added that this guidance would attempt to build on previous work by the government to guarantee closer work between these services, with treatment for dual diagnoses becoming commonplace in the health service.

Last month, the government urged employers in the south-west to transform their handling of mental health in the workplace in order to reduce discrimination and increase efficiency.