Meeting the needs in Addiction Treatment
by Dr Ben Teoh, MBBS FRANZCP
Clinical Director and Medical Superintendent
bteoh@comcen.com.au
 A national US survey conducted in 2006 (National Survey on Drug Use and Health, NSDUH) revealed that of those people who needed treatment for addiction:
- 95.5% did not feel they needed treatment
- 3.0 % felt they needed treatment and did not make an effort to get treatment
- 1.5 % felt they needed treatment and did make effort to get treatment
As clinicians, we are indeed only treating the tip of the iceberg when it comes to meeting the needs of clients with addiction.
It is therefore important to engage and direct those 1.5% who have made an effort to a proper and effective treatment program. There is only a small window of opportunity as the client’s motivation for treatment fluctuates markedly and could quickly be lost if the client is not offered treatment at the critical time.
The proportion of people in this survey who did not feel they needed treatment is extremely high, but consistent with my clinical experience. The physical, psychological and social effects of addiction can be insidious, and even in the face of severe consequences, denial is commonplace — oftentimes I come across clients who are unaware of their problems with addiction, and when informed that they need help, they react with complete surprise.
Sometimes the addiction is masked by other problems. The attention of the person affected could be focussed on depression, anxiety disorders, marital difficulties, and subsequently the addiction is overlooked. A recent survey at South Pacific Private found that more than 70% of clients with addiction have a dual diagnosis of other mental conditions. As a result, many people suffering from addictions were not treated for their addiction until it became severe.
As evidenced above, the larger problem that exists in our society is the huge population of people that exists (95.5%) with unmet needs for treatment. Our initial challenge as Mental Health Professionals is to find a way to persuade these people that they need help. Secondly, once in treatment, the challenge becomes offering effective treatment, whilst keeping the client motivated.
(Reference: National Findings and Results from 2006 National Survey on Drug User and Health. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Published September 2007 - www.oas.samhsa.gov)
As always, I am happy to hear from other health professionals who have comments.
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