DUAL DIAGNOSIS, ADDRESSING IT AT COMMUNITY LEVEL.

This presentation presents recommendations from a community stakeholder needs analysis and service response to people with Dual Diagnosis (DD). Ireland’s 2017–2025 National Drugs Strategy wants to advance DD treatment options as despite the known high prevalence rates of both mental challenges and addictions and an integrated care approach is only at the development phase. Living with Dual Diagnosis is challenging and the current lack of dedicated services contributes to this, as it effects are multifactoral. This study set out to establish possible responses to Dual Diagnosis from a community engaged project in Dublin, Ireland.

Community engagement research can be intricate however it can yield rich insightful data. The Participatory Action Process was central to this study as a transforming agent allowing for different stakeholders in the community to network and build relationships while exploring the impact of DD.This project had two action research phases over a nine-month period and data collection included community open dialogue meetings in each phase, the establishment of a Community research group (CRG). Thematic analysis was conducted on the data from both cycles.

The findings from this study identified systemic issues affecting the whole community’s ability to respond to Dual Diagnosis revealed distinct ways forward including the community response, how organisations can help those with DD and macro level responsibilities to address Dual Diagnosis.

This presentation will present strategies that communities can use to meet local dual diagnosis needs.