Dual diagnosis: evolving policy and practice within the Irish healthcare system
Abstract
This paper provides an historical perspective on dual diagnosis and current developments in the delivery of mental health and addiction services to people with dual diagnosis in Ireland. In light of government policy, it describes attempts made to improve the standards of care provided, recognising deficits in services, and not just those services provided to clients with a dual diagnosis. It identifies a number of issues that need to be addressed, including training, research, service developments, co‐operation between different service providers, information availability and measurement of client outcomes. It concludes that, although there is increasing awareness of the issue of dual diagnosis, this has not resulted in significant relevant policy implementation and improvements in services provided to clients with a dual diagnosis. Yet there is sufficient evidence available for a meaningful response to dual diagnosis, given the state of play in policy and service delivery in those settings with which people with dual diagnosis engage.
Keywords
Citation
MacGabhann, L., Moore, A. and Moore, C. (2010), "Dual diagnosis: evolving policy and practice within the Irish healthcare system", Advances in Dual Diagnosis, Vol. 3 No. 3, pp. 17-28. https://doi.org/10.5042/add.2010.0747
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited