title: The role of self-help programs in the rehabilitation of persons with severe mental illness and substance use disorders.
abstract: Substance abuse treatment programs in the United States frequently incorporate self-help approaches, but little is known about the use of self-help groups by individuals with dual disorders. This paper brings together several current studies on the role of self-help programs in treating substance use disorders among individuals with severe mental illness. These studies indicate that only a minority of individuals with dual disorders become closely linked to self-help. Psychiatric diagnosis and possibly social skills are correlates of participation. Dually disorders consumers often experience the use of 12-step philosophy and jargon by mental health professionals as alienating and unempathic. The authors propose suggestions for incorporating self-help approaches into the comprehensive community care of individuals with dual disorders.
authors.affiliation: NH-Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center, Lebanon 03766, USA.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Noordsy
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Drake
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012657:Self-Help Groups