The Dually Diagnosed Patient in an Inpatient Chemical Dependency Treatment Program

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the treatment of dually diagnosed patients. A successful treatment model will be described and illustrative clinical material presented. The dually diagnosed patient is one who is chemically dependent and also has a clinically significant and diagnoseable psychiatric disorder. From a psychiatric perspective, the most frequently seen disorders include major and minor depressive disorders, bipolar affective disorder (manic/depressive illness), schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, anxiety disorders, dementia, attention deficit disorder, and personality disorders.