Mental health ills, substance abuse often linked

The article (“Virus exacting big mental toll, Hopkins says” Aug. 29) written by Meredith Cohn was enlightening. It was interesting hearing the findings highlighted by the experts and their many suggestions on how to take care of oneself and acquire help. Though Ms. Cohn did a good job in reporting the professional comments it was disappointing to see yet another example of how the experts referred to mental health and substance use as isolated conditions rather than acknowledging individuals with cooccurring substance use and mental disorders.

Systems and clinicians continue to separate mental health and substance use into two different compartments when referring to these disorders but the data tells us and most everyone is aware that there is a high prevalence of individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental disorders. Providers treat them as though they were the exception when they are actually the expectation and the norm.

Families can attest to this and continue to be frustrated with providers who don’t include their loved ones who have both disorders. Dr. Robert Drake of Dartmouth University says, “Despite much research that supports its success, integrated treatment is still not made widely available to consumers. Those who struggle both with serious mental illness and substance abuse face problems of enormous proportions.”

Patricia Bayly Miedusiewski, Timonium