Co-occurring mental disorders in treatment admissions for substance use disorders in Maryland

Background Although the association between mental health and substance use is well documented, the recent mandate by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to better integrate prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts for both conditions challenges state governments to identify and utilize data to evaluate individuals with co-occurring conditions. At the individual level, it is imperative to understand if either or both disorders exist, as the symptoms of one influence the other. Additionally, treatment approaches vary depending upon the co-existence of substance use and mental health conditions. Population-level understanding of the prevalence of substance use and mental health conditions facilitates the best prioritization, development, and implementation of meaningful prevention and treatment initiatives. This study assesses the utility of Maryland’s substance use treatment admissions data to examine prevalence and trends of co-occurring mental disorders among individuals treated for substance use disorders.