Mental Health and Opioid Use Disorder
What are Co-Occurring Disorders?
Mental health disorders and substance use disorders (SUD), can often occur together; this is known as having co-occurring, or comorbid, conditions. An individual with co-occurring disorders will likely require additional treatment to address both issues effectively.
In 2019, nearly half of U.S. adults with substance use disorders also experienced mental health issues. However, among the 9.5 million adults who had a co-occurring SUD and mental health disorders in the past year, only 7.8 percent received both substance use treatment and mental health services.
Mental Health Disorders
Around 1 in 4 individuals with serious mental illness also have an SUD. Serious mental illnesses can include things like major depressive disorder, anxiety, ADHD, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Substance use can lead to changes in some of the same brain areas that are disrupted in mental disorders, like those that impact mood, or impulse-control. Co-occurring disorders can interact in a number of ways:
- Mental and substance use disorders share some underlying causes, including changes in brain composition, genetic vulnerabilities, and early exposure to stress or trauma.
- The repeated/disordered use of certain substances may cause individuals to experience one or more symptoms of a mental health condition.
- Some individuals with mental health conditions may seek to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs, which can lead to a use disorder.
The Vicious Cycle of Co-Occurring Disorders
Certain mental disorders are established risk factors for developing a substance use disorder. Researchers have found that about half of individuals who experience a SUD during their lives will also experience a co-occurring mental disorder and vice versa.
Both SUD and mental disorders can trigger changes in brain structure and function that make an individual more susceptible to other disorders or the worsening of existing disorders. Often these disorders must be addressed simultaneously with treatment strategies.
When mental health disorders co-occur with SUD, they can engage in a vicious cycle where one disorder can complicate the other. For example, an individual living with depression and an SUD may attempt to self-medicate, and find the increased substance use then intensifies their depression.
Treating Co-Occurring Disorders
Generally, it is better to treat the SUD and the co-occurring mental disorders together rather than separately. For this reason, people seeking help for a SUD and other mental disorders need to be evaluated by a health care provider for each disorder. Because it can be challenging to make an accurate diagnosis due to overlapping symptoms, the provider should use comprehensive assessment tools to reduce the chance of a missed diagnosis and provide targeted treatment. Treatment for both mental health problems and substance use disorders may include rehabilitation, medications, support groups, and talk therapy.
It is essential that treatment be tailored to an individual’s specific combination of disorders and symptoms, the person’s age, the misused substance, and the specific mental disorder(s). Talk to your health care provider to determine what treatment may be best for you and give the treatment time to work.