title: First-Person Perspectives on Dual Diagnosis Anonymous (DDA): A Qualitative Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  People with dually diagnosed substance abuse and mental illnesses often feel alienated at traditional 12-step meetings, yet they need the peer support provided by such groups. Dual Diagnosis Anonymous (DDA) is a peer-support program specifically for people with co-occurring disorders, which addresses many of the factors that members find alienating about traditional 12-step groups. This study aimed to elicit first-person perspectives on DDA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Occupational therapy students conducted 13 focus groups with 106 DDA members in three settings: the community (6 groups, n = 36), correctional facilities (5 groups, n = 53), and the state psychiatric hospital (2 groups, n = 17). Researchers inductively analyzed focus group transcripts to identify prominent themes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The vast majority of participants were between the ages of 18 and 49 (n = 87, 82.1%) and were non-Hispanic/White (n = 82, 77.4%). Most participants had been using substances for more than 10 years and had a diagnosed mental illness for more than 10 years. The most common substance of choice among those in the community and corrections setting was multiple substances, while those in the state hospital identified alcohol most often. Bipolar disorder was the most common mental illness diagnosis among participants in the state hospital, but depression and anxiety were the two most common diagnoses in the community and corrections participants. Four primary themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: (1) feeling accepted by others in the group, (2) understanding the interactive nature of dual disorders, (3) the open discussions in DDA meetings, and (4) a focus on hope and recovery from both illnesses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DDA provides a helpful alternative for individuals who do not feel comfortable at traditional 12-step groups due to their mental illness. Members value the acceptance, understanding, discussion, and hope in DDA meetings.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roush
authors.forename: Corbett
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Monica
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carpenter-Song
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Drake
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: 12 steps; Dual Diagnosis Anonymous; addiction; co-occurring disorders; dual diagnosis; mental illness; substance abuse