Abstract
Substance abuse treatment programs in the United States frequently incorporate self-help approaches, but little is known about the use of self-help groups by individuals with dual disorders. This paper brings together several current studies on the role of self-help programs in treating substance use disorders among individuals with severe mental illness. These studies indicate that only a minority of individuals with dual disorders become closely linked to self-help. Psychiatric diagnosis and possibly social skills are correlates of participation. Dually disordered consumers often experience the use of 12-step philosophy and jargon by mental health professionals as alienating and unempathic. The authors propose suggestions for incorporating self-help approaches into the comprehensive community care of individuals with dual disorders.
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Douglas L. Noordsy, M.D., is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Dartmouth Medical School and Research Associate at New Hampshire-Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center. Brenda Schwab, Ph.D., is Research Associate at New Hampshire-Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center and Research Assistant Professor of Community and Family Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School. Lindy Fox, M.A., is Clinical Interviewer and Trainer at New Hampshire-Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center. Robert E. Drake, M.D., Ph.D., is Director of New Hampshire-Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center and Andrew Thomson Professor of Psychiatry and Community and Family Medicine at Dartmouth Medical School.
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Noordsy, D.L., Schwab, B., Fox, L. et al. The role of self-help programs in the rehabilitation of persons with severe mental illness and substance use disorders. Community Ment Health J 32, 71–81 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02249369
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02249369