Mental health services are ill-equipped to tackle the needs of mentally ill substance abusers, according to Scots research.
And the research team at Glasgow Caledonian University are demanding expert clinicians are better co-ordinated across all health services to improve treatment.
The study led by Professor of Substance Use Research Elizabeth Hughes found a need for change which requires joined-up government policy and local integration of health and social care services.
Around 30-50% of people with serious mental illness also have co-existing alcohol and drug conditions, which is associated with poor health outcomes and people in areas of deprivation are worst hit.
The impact of serious mental health difficulties can be severe, long-lasting, and can seriously affect people’s lives over a long period of time.
But it is common for people who experience serious mental health difficulties to have problems with drinking too much alcohol and/or taking drugs, which can add to the mental health difficulties.
The Realist Evaluation Co-occurring (RECO) began in 2020 when scientists gathered information about existing joined-up services across all health board areas.
They found none in Scotland and fewer than 20 locations in England and Wales.
The research also involved experts from a range of mental health, alcohol and drug organisations as well as researched from two English universities.
Five out of the 20 locations identified were studied to find out how local services work together and what works best.
Professor Hughes said: “It’s hard to believe that we are in 2024 and people with combined serious mental health illness and alcohol or drug use are being left behind in the system because of the lack of a co-ordinated approach in treatment and services across the whole of the UK.
“There will be people who slip through the net and spiral out of control, or even take their own lives because they feel there’s nowhere for them to go and they keep getting passed from pillar to post.
“We will use all that we have learned from this study to help people who fund and provide health services to improve these services.
“We will also make sure our findings are shared with people in the department of health who develop policies and guidance that will be used in the future when new services are developed.
“We found things work well when there is a dedicated clinical leader who can co-ordinate all these services, who can be a role model to other staff, put on some in-house training, supervision, and broker that relationship between substance use and mental health which is really divided right now.
“Nothing really happens without somebody on the ground doing those things.”