subject: Dual Diagnosis: How To Examine Patients [print this page] If a person is affected with both mental health and drug abuse problems, he will have a dual diagnosis. For most specialists of Dual Diagnosis Center, it's often challenging to assess people with dual diagnosis. However they will be able to create some evaluation skills by knowing important facts about such diagnosis.
In order to come up with a good assessment plan, physicians should obtain the history of the patient. This is meant to understand why he obtained both psychiatric and drug abuse disorders. The history should contain all kinds of substances that the patient had used since the beginning. Clinicians must also determine whether the patient had undertaken therapies in the past and if there is a history of abuse in his family. Also, with regards to the patient's psychological problem, information on the start of the illness, the period, family history and the effect of the illness must also be obtained.
Doctors should base their diagnosis on certain diagnostic criteria which is meant for mental issues and drug abuse. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association can help them identify the factors that triggered both illnesses. This reference has standards for substance-induced psychological illness and is likely to imply that the patient does not suffer from dual disorders. For example, a person with mental problem will only show symptoms when he has taken the substance. Thus, he may not be diagnosed of a different mental psychotic problem.
Observing the patient is necessary to fit him to the best Drug Treatment Program. The difference between psychological health and drug problems can only be determined through observation which should be done in a particular period of time. This will not be possible when the physicians only conduct one interview. The therapy must begin with addressing the substance abuse first before the psychological issue. If the client has been sober for some time, the clinicians will be able to know if the signs and symptoms are caused by drug abuse or mental problems. With this, they can create a more precise assessment and diagnosis of the patient.
Nearly all doctors work as a team in order to make the treatment plans successful. The team may be composed of social workers, psychologists, doctors and nurses. Most of them are knowledgeable in both psychological issues and drug abuse. Such education is imperative if they will have to prescribe medicines as some medications for psychological conditions can be addictive.
