Exploring the Links Between Substance Use and Mental Health

Conclusion

The round table provided an opportunity for researchers, policy makers, practitioners and consumers to spend two days exchanging ideas on how the substance use and mental health fields can work together. Although the two fields have evolved independently, they both focus on illness and risk factors, rather than on health and protective factors. To better serve clients, it was agreed that the fields need to collaborate to remove organizational barriers and policy and funding conflicts, and to provide community managed, integrated and more prevention focused services.

To reach these goals will require a shift in philosophy and changes in attitudes, expectations and behaviours of policy makers, program developers, service providers, clients and their families. Key changes would include: training professionals in both fields; emphasizing health promotion and problem prevention; developing partnerships between professionals and clients to plan and provide services which recognize diversity as well as the interdependence of individuals, families and communities; promoting independence, control and self-esteem; and enabling people to live and access services in their communities.