Mental health and substance use in Europe: initial steps towards a common European approach

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Comorbid substance use and other mental health disorders contribute to more than one million years lived with disability in Europe according to the Global Burden of Disease study. They require a comprehensive approach, yet, in Europe, there is considerable variability in the treatment of these patients. The European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) is committed to address comorbidity in Europe by providing evidence of epidemiological situation and approaches to interventions and supporting a common European approach. METHODS: The methods used to support the promotion of a European approach to comorbidity were the following: a) setting up an EUDA Advisory Board on dual disorders, consisting of international experts guiding and overseeing the EUDA efforts in this field, b) the introduction of a voluntary item on dual disorders in the European data collection on people entering drug treatment (Treatment Demand Indicator (TDI) and c) a survey mapping existing care models in Europe was conducted.