Post by jasmineo on Jul 6, 2015 8:58:05 GMT
Dual diagnosis is a term used to indicate that a person has two illnesses or conditions that have been diagnosed by an appropriate qualified person (DDA&NZ, 2009). In this case as we learnt in the workshop we are looking at a mental health diagnosis and a substance use diagnosis. The statistics for drug use in the Australian population is alarming. About 8 million people aged 14 and over in Australia (42%) have ever used an illicit drug, and 2.9 million (15.0%) had used an illicit drug in the 12 months before the survey, increasing from 2.7 million (14.7%) in 2010 (AIHW, 2013).
My greatest learning from the workshop was the importance of conducting a thorough assessment of a client’s substance use and finding out the reasons behind why a person is using substances. In this time it would also be appropriate to assess which stage of change the person may be in so that appropriate care can be given. If the client is in a stage of change where they are not ready to address their behaviour then there is no point preaching to them about methods to change or attempting to convince them of the need to change. It is a decision that the person needs to make themself and be supported through.
Another area of learning that I found useful was changing the focus from the complete cessation of a substance too instead finding ways to make use safer for the client and their families. This is crucial due to the difficulty of often getting people to stop their substance use. More resources should be dedicated to making drug use safe for those who do not have the resources to change.
While thorough assessment is something that I believe is currently managed poorly in ELMHS hopefully it is something that we can work on improving. There is full assessment that is in the ELMHS admission paperwork but this is something that does not get often get filled out due to lack of time. This is something that could be improved through education and making dual diagnosis a priority on the ward.
Through working with children in DHS care is has become evident that there is a large issues around substance use and mental health illnesses and it is often something that is learnt from a young age and not seen as an issue. It is also something that is often not addressed. In ELMHS, many clients come from DHS care and completing a comprehensive assessment could aid in setting up community supports for these specific clients and helping them to receive the care and resources that they need.
Also in terms of implementing what was learnt in the workshop I think that just having the knowledge and passing it on so that others are aware will make a large difference in the recovery of patients with dual diagnosis. It is an area that is often forgotten.
References:
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2013) ‘National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2013’ < www.aihw.gov.au/alcohol-and-other-drugs/ndshs-2013/ch5/>
Dual Diagnosis Australia & New Zealand (DDA&NZ) (2009) ‘What is Dual Diagnosis?’
<http://www.dualdiagnosis.org.au/home/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=15&Itemid=27>
My greatest learning from the workshop was the importance of conducting a thorough assessment of a client’s substance use and finding out the reasons behind why a person is using substances. In this time it would also be appropriate to assess which stage of change the person may be in so that appropriate care can be given. If the client is in a stage of change where they are not ready to address their behaviour then there is no point preaching to them about methods to change or attempting to convince them of the need to change. It is a decision that the person needs to make themself and be supported through.
Another area of learning that I found useful was changing the focus from the complete cessation of a substance too instead finding ways to make use safer for the client and their families. This is crucial due to the difficulty of often getting people to stop their substance use. More resources should be dedicated to making drug use safe for those who do not have the resources to change.
While thorough assessment is something that I believe is currently managed poorly in ELMHS hopefully it is something that we can work on improving. There is full assessment that is in the ELMHS admission paperwork but this is something that does not get often get filled out due to lack of time. This is something that could be improved through education and making dual diagnosis a priority on the ward.
Through working with children in DHS care is has become evident that there is a large issues around substance use and mental health illnesses and it is often something that is learnt from a young age and not seen as an issue. It is also something that is often not addressed. In ELMHS, many clients come from DHS care and completing a comprehensive assessment could aid in setting up community supports for these specific clients and helping them to receive the care and resources that they need.
Also in terms of implementing what was learnt in the workshop I think that just having the knowledge and passing it on so that others are aware will make a large difference in the recovery of patients with dual diagnosis. It is an area that is often forgotten.
References:
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2013) ‘National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2013’ < www.aihw.gov.au/alcohol-and-other-drugs/ndshs-2013/ch5/>
Dual Diagnosis Australia & New Zealand (DDA&NZ) (2009) ‘What is Dual Diagnosis?’
<http://www.dualdiagnosis.org.au/home/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=15&Itemid=27>