Comorbid Drug Abuse and Mental Disorders

Compared with the general population, patients with mood or anxiety disorders are about twice as likely to also suffer from a drug disorder figure. Patients with drug disorders are roughly twice as likely to suffer from mood or anxiety disorders. The rates of specific comorbidities vary by gender. Among men and women in drug treatment, antisocial personality disorder is more common in men, while women have higher rates of major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety disorders.

Institute of Mental Health

The National Institute of Mental Health mission of NIMH is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery and cure. In support of this mission, NIMH generates research and promotes research training to fulfill the following four objectives: promote discovery in the brain and behavioral sciences to fuel research on the causes of mental disorders; chart mental illness trajectories to determine when, where and how to intervene; develop new and better interventions that incorporate the diverse needs and circumstances of people with mental illnesses; and strengthen the public health impact of NIMH- supported research.

Continuity of Care

Continuity of care is essential for drug abusers re-entering the community. Drug users who complete treatment in prison and continue with treatment in the community have low relapse rates. Continuing drug abuse treatment helps released offender deal with problems that become relevant only after prison, such as learning to handle situations that could lead to relapse, learning how to live without drugs in the community and how to develop a peer support network. Treatment in prison or jail can begin a process of therapeutic change, resulting in reduced drug use and criminal behavior after incarceration. Continuing drug treatment in the community is essential to sustaining abstinence.

Balanced Approach

A balance of rewards and sanctions encourages positive social behavior and treatment participation. When providing correctional supervision of individuals participating in drug abuse treatment, it is important to reinforce positive behavior. Nonmonetary social rewards such as recognition for progress or sincere effort are effective, as are graduated sanctions that are consistent, predictable and clear responses to noncompliant behavior. Generally, treatment specialists implement less punitive responses for early and less serious noncompliance, with increasingly severe sanctions issued for continued problem behavior. Rewards and sanctions are most likely to have the desired effect when they are fair and when they swiftly follow the targeted behavior.