Post by Carl Murnane on Jun 30, 2015 6:07:54 GMT
Dual diagnosis is when co-occurring mental illness and a substance use is a problem. The abused substances could be prescribed medications, illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco (State Government of Victoria, 2015).
Reflecting on the Dual Diagnosis Workshop I was surprised by the prevalence of Dual diagnosis particularly among young people, but also the amount of Aged persons who abuse alcohol as well as a mental Illness. In a census of registered clients in Victoria’s specialist mental health services conducted in 2002, staff reported up to 45 per cent of clients with dual diagnosis (Ministerial Advisory Committee on Mental Health , 2005).
My first two rotations have been in aged and I have only seen two clients who have required Alcohol Withdrawal Scale documentation and a few who have a tobacco addiction. Not one of my previous patients have an illicit drug use problem. However my next rotation at Unit 2 I’m sure I will come across Dual diagnosis a lot more frequently.
My first two rotations have been in aged and I have only seen two clients who have required Alcohol Withdrawal Scale documentation and a few who have a tobacco addiction. Not one of my previous patients have an illicit drug use problem. However my next rotation at Unit 2 I’m sure I will come across Dual diagnosis a lot more frequently.
The Dual Diagnosis workshop provided learning about the stages of change which was beneficial and I now will able to identify the stage future clients are in, I believe this is crucial for therapeutic relationships as well as positive outcomes for the clients to occur, These stages are, Pre-contemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance, and Relapse, it was also essential to remember that these stages don’t normally run in sequence and are interchangeable.
A Non-judgmental inquisitive attitude will assist future nurse/client relationships, and being aware of my own values and beliefs about substance use is important that it does not impede on the client relationship, It is also valuable to remember that I should not expect people to be open about their substance use, so a therapeutic relationship must be forged in order to find this information about the client.
A Non-judgmental inquisitive attitude will assist future nurse/client relationships, and being aware of my own values and beliefs about substance use is important that it does not impede on the client relationship, It is also valuable to remember that I should not expect people to be open about their substance use, so a therapeutic relationship must be forged in order to find this information about the client.
Interestingly, I also noted in the workshop that successful managing of dual diagnosis can mean an escalation in behaviors including resistance to or non-compliance with treatment and recovery programs, self-harm and aggression, and averting assistance of services. Therefore, effective management of dual diagnosis can be difficult. This is why it is imperative to know the stages of change and having an understanding about where your client is at in their recovery. Having an understanding about the reasons why some people use drugs is crucial.
I look forward to utilizing the skills and information learnt from the workshop in my future nursing practice, and look forward to assisting in the recovery of future clients who have dual diagnosis.
Ministerial Advisory Committee on Mental Health . (2005). Dual Diagnosis: Key directions and priorities for service development. Melbourne: Victorian Government Department of Human Services.
State Government of Victoria. (2015, June 22). Dual Diagnosis. Retrieved June 30, 2015, from Better Health Channel: www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Dual_diagnosis