Post by Grace Sodomaco on Jul 6, 2015 12:20:26 GMT
DUAL DIAGNOSIS:
Reflect on the Dual Diagnosis workshop and describe what your greatest learning from this workshop was and also how you will implement this into your practice (approx. 500 words)
The term dual diagnosis describes the diagnosis of an individual who's experiencing issues related to both mental health and substance use (Dual Diagnosis Australia & New Zealand (DDA&NZ), 2009). According to DDA & NZ (2009), it’s estimated that approximately 40-80% of consumers experiencing a mental illness are also affected by substance use, or vise versa.
I found the Dual Diagnosis study day to be very relevant and informative particularly to the acute adult ward in which I have had my first rotation. I feel that my greatest learning came from the information provided regarding the importance of assessing and treating an individual for both their mental illness and their substance use. I can now understand the importance of identifying both the mental illness and substance abuse within a consumer’s presentation, and the requirement to treat both of these presenting issues in order to provide holistic and appropriate care.
I found it also interesting to learn how each individual has a different reason for their substance use, ranging from; addiction, using it to help cope with symptoms of a mental illness or self-medicating. Before being provided with information regarding the common reasons of use I was unaware of many of these.
The statistics presented to us regarding the prevalence of dual diagnosis were also very informative. I was unaware that there is such a high number of consumers affected by both a mental illness and substance use. According to The Better Health Channel (2015), it’s estimated that 64% of Australian psychiatric inpatients either have current or previous substance use problems, and 90% of Australian males with a diagnosis of schizophrenia potentially have a substance use problem.
Being made aware of the stages of change an individual goes through when making a decision in their life was also useful information. This has alerted me to become more aware of an inpatients readiness and willingness to make a significant change to their health, and allowed me to see why these changes are not always invited or unsuccessful.
On return to my ward, I was able to implement my knowledge of the stages of change immediately. When in interviews with clients or providing one on one time to my patients I was able to identify the stages of change some of them were at. This allowed me to determine whether or not the option to bring up their dual diagnosis or to provide them with information on how to stop was appropriate or would be effective. One of my clients was determined to cease his substance use and so I was able to discuss with him the stages of change, he was unaware that relapse was a common and likely stage during such a significant life change, and not something to be ashamed of occurring.
I am also able to implement the holistic assessment of an individual’s dual diagnosis into my assessment of clients throughout their admission. The information provided to us on different techniques and assessment tools has allowed for this to become a regular assessment which provides a clearer picture of an individuals whole presentation, rather than just identifying their mental illness in isolation.
Better Health Channel. (2015). Dual Diagnosis. Retrieved from www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Dual_diagnosis
Dual Diagnosis Australia & New Zealand. (2009). ‘What is Dual Diagnosis?’ Retrieved from
www.dualdiagnosis.org.au/home/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=15&Itemid=27
Reflect on the Dual Diagnosis workshop and describe what your greatest learning from this workshop was and also how you will implement this into your practice (approx. 500 words)
The term dual diagnosis describes the diagnosis of an individual who's experiencing issues related to both mental health and substance use (Dual Diagnosis Australia & New Zealand (DDA&NZ), 2009). According to DDA & NZ (2009), it’s estimated that approximately 40-80% of consumers experiencing a mental illness are also affected by substance use, or vise versa.
I found the Dual Diagnosis study day to be very relevant and informative particularly to the acute adult ward in which I have had my first rotation. I feel that my greatest learning came from the information provided regarding the importance of assessing and treating an individual for both their mental illness and their substance use. I can now understand the importance of identifying both the mental illness and substance abuse within a consumer’s presentation, and the requirement to treat both of these presenting issues in order to provide holistic and appropriate care.
I found it also interesting to learn how each individual has a different reason for their substance use, ranging from; addiction, using it to help cope with symptoms of a mental illness or self-medicating. Before being provided with information regarding the common reasons of use I was unaware of many of these.
The statistics presented to us regarding the prevalence of dual diagnosis were also very informative. I was unaware that there is such a high number of consumers affected by both a mental illness and substance use. According to The Better Health Channel (2015), it’s estimated that 64% of Australian psychiatric inpatients either have current or previous substance use problems, and 90% of Australian males with a diagnosis of schizophrenia potentially have a substance use problem.
Being made aware of the stages of change an individual goes through when making a decision in their life was also useful information. This has alerted me to become more aware of an inpatients readiness and willingness to make a significant change to their health, and allowed me to see why these changes are not always invited or unsuccessful.
On return to my ward, I was able to implement my knowledge of the stages of change immediately. When in interviews with clients or providing one on one time to my patients I was able to identify the stages of change some of them were at. This allowed me to determine whether or not the option to bring up their dual diagnosis or to provide them with information on how to stop was appropriate or would be effective. One of my clients was determined to cease his substance use and so I was able to discuss with him the stages of change, he was unaware that relapse was a common and likely stage during such a significant life change, and not something to be ashamed of occurring.
I am also able to implement the holistic assessment of an individual’s dual diagnosis into my assessment of clients throughout their admission. The information provided to us on different techniques and assessment tools has allowed for this to become a regular assessment which provides a clearer picture of an individuals whole presentation, rather than just identifying their mental illness in isolation.
Better Health Channel. (2015). Dual Diagnosis. Retrieved from www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Dual_diagnosis
Dual Diagnosis Australia & New Zealand. (2009). ‘What is Dual Diagnosis?’ Retrieved from
www.dualdiagnosis.org.au/home/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=15&Itemid=27