Treatment of co-occurring diagnoses
SUDs, comorbidity, addictive disorder, psychiatric
DISORDER, DISORDERS
Since the 1980s, there have been two networks in Spain to treat a single patient with an addictive disorder and other mental disorders; this has continued in many cases to the present day, with a very differentiated treatment network persisting in some autonomous communities for patients with addictions. As a result, the comorbidity is approached in parallel or sequential care, leading to deficits which increase morbidity and mortality and the abandonment of treatment (Roncero et al. In general terms, it is considered that treatments which are effective for mental disorders are also effective in dual diagnosis patients; and that treatments indicated for substance use disorders are also suitable for psychiatric patients with SUDs (Sáiz Martínez et al. In our research, a low percentage of patients were treated for their SUDs in the mental health network, despite their high prevalence. Another finding is that disulfiram or cyanamide was relatively little used in both mental health and addiction networks. The reason for 370 people with opioid use disorder but 423 patients on opioid agonists is due to the fact that a considerable number of patients undergoing opioid maintenance for many years currently have cocaine or other stimulants UD as their main SUD. Although psychotropic drugs were used similarly for their treatment in both settings, there must be highlight that there was a very high percentage of patients (50%) who were prescribed anxiolytics/hypnotics in both treatment networks, despite their clear contraindication and their risk of abuse (Sáiz Martínez et al. 