Health Bulletin, Vol. 9 No. 1, 2023.
Original scientific paper
THE FREQUENCY OF DUAL DIAGNOSIS AMONG THE USERS OF PSYCHOSOCIAL SERVICES IN THE THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITIES IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
Gordana Cavicchi
; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Mostar, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Dragan Babić
; Faculty of Health Studies, University of Mostar, 88000 Mostar, Bosna and Herzegovina
Ivan Ćelic
orcid.org/0000-0001-5135-0519
; Department of Dual Diagnosis, University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, 10090 Zagreb, Republic of Croatia
Darjan Franjić
orcid.org/0000-0001-8189-9713
; Faculty of Health Studies, University of Mostar, 88000 Mostar, Bosna and Herzegovina
Abstract
Introduction: Addiction is a mental state or physical condition that results from the continued use of a
substance or performance of a particular activity. Dual diagnosis is the co-occurrence in the same individual
of severe mental problems and addiction disease. Objective: To test the frequency of co-occurring disorders
among the users of psychosocial services in the therapeutic communities in the Republic of Croatia. Subjects
and methods: A cross-sectional study on a sample of 648 members of therapeutic communities was carried
out. The data were collected by means of a modified international Pompidou Group’s questionnaire
consisting of general sociodemographic data and the data on treatment, risky behaviour and legal problems.
Results: More than a half of the total number of subjects had dual diagnosis. The most frequent diagnoses
co-occurring with addiction were disorders of adult personality and behaviour and schizophrenia,
schizophrenia-like disorders and delusional disorders. Co-occurring disorders were more frequent in women
than in men. In the Pope John XXIII Community, the main addiction substance among people of young age
was amphetamine, and this change in trends of psychoactive substance abuse should be additionally
explored. Conclusion: Somewhat more than a half of users of psychosocial services in the therapeutic
communities in the Republic of Croatia had dual diagnosis.
Keywords
addiction; dual diagnosis/co-occurring disorders; therapeutic communities; users of psychosocial services
Hrčak ID:
304941
URI
Publication date:
31.5.2023.
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