Findings bulletins: treatment lessons and dual diagnosis, Pharmacy IBA 'null findings' & IBA matrix bites returns

Recent bulletins from the drug and alcohol bank:

The therapeutic potential of patients and clients

We consider the therapeutic potential of patients and clients, from the place of recovery champions, mutual aid groups, and recovery networks, to the day-to-day ways that people make use of and engage with treatment and harm reduction practices.

The complexity and challenge of ‘dual diagnosis’

With as many as three quarters of their clients suffering from mental health problems, deciding how to respond is a major and long-standing concern for British drug and alcohol services. Should they or psychiatric services take the lead, and should dependence be treated first, or treatment run in parallel?

Pharmacy brief intervention has no effect on problem drinking

Despite a clear rationale for embedding brief interventions in community pharmacies, this UK trial found no evidence that they would reduce hazardous or harmful drinking.

Alcohol matrix: brief interventions

Findings has also updated its Alcohol Matrix, focusing on screening and brief intervention (known as IBA in England), with comprehensive analysis of the key delivery, commissioning and implementation issues:

• Cell A1. Interventions: effective enough in UK?
• Cell B1. Practitioners: why so important?
• Cell C1. Managing screening and brief intervention
• Cell D1. Organisational influences
• Cell E1. Commissioning systems are key to implementation