CLINICAL HANDBOOK OF CO-EXISTING MENTAL HEALTH & DRUG & ALCOHOL PROBLEMS

by Amanda Baker, Richard Velleman

Published by Routledge at £27.99. 402 pages.

ISBN 978-1-59391-776-3.

co-existing mental health and drug and alcohol problems are a frequent occurrence in primary care and clinical settings. Despite this, health professionals receive limited training in how to detect, assess and formulate interventions for such clients, and few clinical guidelines exist. This handbook aims to redress this, with treatment plans, medications for dual disorders, and cognitive-therapy approaches. The book also explores relatively uncharted areas such as approaches to working with isolated, rural populations.

There are clear guidelines for developing integrated treatment programmes, doing assessments and implementing a wide range of individual, group and family interventions, as well as case studies demonstrating these.

Residential and other housing services, involuntary interventions, vocational rehabilitation, and psychopharmacology for dual disorders are also covered.

This handbook will increase clinicians' confidence in working with people with co-existing problems, and is an ideal resource for counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and many working in primary care.

Caroline Morris MA is chief verifier for OCR for the Health and Social Care Suite of NVQs, incorporating Drugs and Alcohol National Standards (Danos).