Mental Illness & Addictions

According to the former AADAC, Alberta has higher per capita rates of alcohol consumption, high-risk drinking, and reported harms associated with drinking than the national average. Those seeking help are often using more than one substance, and half of these drug use disorders may be linked to mental illness:

• Estimated lifetime prevalence of substance abuse among people with mood and anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, personality disorders, and eating disorders ranges from 40% to 65% or higher;
• 15% of people who were alcohol dependent experienced a major depressive episode in the previous year compared to 5% of the general population;
• Approximately 15% of problem gamblers are alcohol dependent and 24% have experienced clinical depression at some point in their lives;
• The literature suggests that problem gambling may also occur in conjunction with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and eating disorders.

Research is needed to determine which interventions are the most effective when treating individuals with concurrent disorders, and most importantly, how multiple service providers can work together to provide such interventions.

Source: Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission. (2007). Position on Addiction and Mental Health.