ipl-logo

Virginia Community Screening Disorders Case Study

613 Words3 Pages

There are many public health issues plaguing the state of Virginia, but the one that has caused considerable damage to the community, is the co-occupancy of mental and substance abuse disorders. This epidemic has effected both the younger and older generations in Virginia as whole. “According to SAMHSA’s 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 7.9 million adults in the United States had co-occurring disorders in 2014. People with mental health disorders are more likely than people without mental health disorders to experience an alcohol or substance use disorder. Co-occurring disorders can be difficult to diagnose due to the complexity of symptoms, as both may vary in severity. In many cases, people receive treatment for one disorder while the other disorder remains untreated. This may occur because both mental and substance use disorders can have biological, psychological, and social components. Other reasons may be inadequate provider training or screening, an …show more content…

It will require several different approaches; individual, environmental, and systematic. The individual approach will focus on increasing the knowledge of the community on screening and treatment methods and opportunities as well as recognizing signs and symptoms of the illness. Currently, Virginia has a program called the Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) which is “a comprehensive, integrated, public health approach to the delivery of early intervention and treatment services for persons with substance use disorders, as well as those who are at risk of developing these disorders. The purpose of SBI is to identify individuals who may have alcohol and/or other substance use problems.” (www.dbhds.virginia.gov, 2014) This is an important program to the Virginia area so early detection and treatment options can be

More about Virginia Community Screening Disorders Case Study

Open Document