Guidelines on the management of co-occurring mental health conditions in alcohol and other drug treatment settings: how useful are they?

There has been a growing literature documenting the high prevalence of co-occurring mental health disorders among clients of substance use treatment services and the challenges clinicians face when treating comorbid clients. To assist alcohol and other drug (AOD) workers in working with these clients, the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing funded the development of ‘Guidelines on the management of co-occurring alcohol and other drug and mental health conditions in alcohol and other drug treatment settings.’ Too often guidelines are produced but not evaluated. The present study aimed to examine the extent to which this resource is perceived to be relevant and useful to clinical practice. Ninety-seven AOD workers from across Australia completed an online survey. A series of questions asked respondents to rate the relevance and usefulness of the Guidelines to their clinical practice. Overall, the responses received were overwhelmingly positive. The vast majority of respondents perceived th...