New framework will help people with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, says RCPsych

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The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England have published the Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Delivery Framework.

Dr Emily Finch, the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Associate Registrar for Comorbid Mental Health and Substance Use, said:

“People who have both a mental illness and substance use disorder are among the most vulnerable in society, with significantly higher mortality and suicide rates. Despite this, they are often excluded from either mental health or addiction services because these separate services are often not geared up to work in parallel.

“The co-occurring mental health and substance use delivery framework is a welcome step towards addressing the challenges these patients face. It is positive to see that guidance will be developed to facilitate closer collaboration between mental health and addiction services. This will help us create a system that provides the holistic care and treatment that people so urgently need.

“The College’s co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders (CoSUM) report outlines ways in which addiction and mental health services can provide joined-up care and should be used to inform any work in this field.

“There is a significant shortage of appropriately trained and experienced staff which is preventing services from meeting all their patients’ complex needs. The expansion of training opportunities and additional training materials will help in addressing this gap in knowledge.

“Improved data collection will help us identify gaps in care and provide a strong evidence base from services that are already delivering improvements for patients.

“The College is ready to support the development of a more compassionate and effective system which delivers better outcomes for individuals, the NHS and the wider economy.”