[Investigation of community support measures for patients with comorbid substance use disorder and psychotic disorder: nationwide survey of drug addiction rehabilitation centers].

Abstract

In psychiatric care practice, patients are often seen who have difficulty with their social lives due to protracted psychiatric symptoms despite years without drug abuse. The difficulty of dealing with such cases and the lack of preparedness of the legal system leave circumstantial care as the only option. Western.countries have recently begun using the name 'concurrent disorder' as a diagnosis for patients deemed unable to recover solely through such treatment for drug addiction, signifying the presence of both a substance use disorder (SUD) and a mental health disorder. Various assessment and intervention methods are being investigated, and many studies have been reported. Based on the hypothesis that Drug Addiction Rehabilitation Center (DARC) are partly involved in supporting those with psychotic concurrent disorders (PSCD) in Japan, we conducted a survey to clarify the actual support for PSCD patients at DARC and the challenges they face. Surveys were administered to DARC-related institutions all over Japan (44 governing organizations and 66 institutions). Complete responses from 86 full-time employees and 445 DARC users were analyzed. DARC users were divided into two groups: psychiatric concurrent disorders (PSCD group, n = 178) and those without such symptoms (SUD group, n = 267), with the PSCD group accounting for 40% of the DARC users surveyed. Compared to the SUD group, the PSCD group was significantly less satisfied with their lifestyle and interpersonal relations at the DARC and a significantly higher proportion of the PSCD group requested assistance in communicating with others. When employees were presented with a hypothetical PSCD case and asked what was needed to deal with it, some responses were, "an institution that can treat both drug addiction and other mental health disorders," "a psychiatric care institution that provides 24-hour care," and "sufficient manpower and training." In the future, a treatment system must be established based on public medical institutions with a dedicated PSCD program that can provide medical care under legal observation.