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Related Experiment Videos

Substance misuse services in secure psychiatric units.

Sean Whyte1, Charlotte Harrison

  • 1Charing Cross Psychiatric Rotation, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London. sean.whyte@nhs.net

Medicine, Science, and the Law
|February 27, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Substance misuse is common in secure psychiatric hospitals in England, yet treatment services are scarce and often inadequate. Most units lack effective interventions for current substance misuse issues.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Public Health
  • Addiction Medicine

Background:

  • Substance misuse is prevalent in secure psychiatric settings in England.
  • It is linked to poorer patient outcomes.
  • There is a lack of data on available substance misuse treatment services in these units.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine staff perceptions of substance misuse prevalence and impact in secure psychiatric units.
  • To assess the availability and nature of substance misuse treatment services in these settings.

Main Methods:

  • A questionnaire-based study was conducted.
  • Staff from secure psychiatric hospitals in England were surveyed.

Main Results:

  • Substance misuse was perceived as a significant problem with considerable impact.

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  • Substance misuse treatment service provision was found to be poor.
  • Many units lacked access to any treatment services.
  • Available services often focused on awareness or relapse prevention, not current misuse treatment.
  • Few units could refer patients to local NHS addiction services.

    • Conclusions:

    • There is a substantial unmet need for effective substance misuse treatment in secure psychiatric hospitals.
    • Current service provision is inadequate to address the prevalence and impact of substance misuse in this population.
    • Improved access to and integration with local addiction services are urgently required.