Drug use problems and mental health: comorbidity explained

Drug use problems are often associated with health harms. Infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C, have clear links to drug use, but there are also links between drug use and mental health problems that we need to consider: People with problematic forms of drug use often suffer from both a substance use and a mental health disorder. The co-existence of a substance use and a mental health disorder in the same person is usually called ‘psychiatric comorbidity in substance users’ or 'dual diagnosis'.