title: Stopping the run-around? A study of services for people with comorbid mental health and substance use disorders in northern Adelaide.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Comorbidity between mental health and alcohol and other drug (AOD) disorders is common. This study aimed to identify and describe all of the local government and non-government (NGO) mental health and AOD services in a socially disadvantaged urban region in Adelaide, South Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Services were identified using telephone directories and the internet, and via information from workers employed by a wide range of mental health and AOD services.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Local mental health and AOD services were difficult to locate, but eventually we identified a total of 70 services. Soon after this, reorganisation of the mental health services and a new NGO funding round changed the service configuration, with a decrease in the number of services. The available services were fragmented, and rarely addressed comorbidity specifically.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our real-world study demonstrates the lack of a clear pathway for people to access existing services. Further, changes occur frequently as government funded services generally reorganise every couple of years, and NGO services come and go according to funding. There is a need for a central, widely available database for mental health and AOD services. More services addressing comorbid mental health and AOD disorders are required.
authors.affiliation: Research Project Coordinator, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, University of Adelaide, SA Australia.
authors.forename: Imelda
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cairney
authors.affiliation: Professor of Psychiatry, University of Adelaide, Gilberton, SA, and; Ramsay Health Care (SA) Mental Health Services; Northern Adelaide Local Health Network SA, Australia cherrie.galletly@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Cherrie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Galletly
authors.affiliation: University of Adelaide, SA, and; Professor of Drug and Alcohol Nursing, School of Nursing, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Crespigny
authors.affiliation: Senior Consultant Psychiatrist, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, University of Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Population Health, University of Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moss
authors.affiliation: Professor and Chair: Mental Health Nursing, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Procter
mesh_terms: D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009938:Organizations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013021:South Australia; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: alcohol; comorbidity; drugs; dual diagnosis; mental health; services