Tackling the burden of substance use among those with a mental health disorder
Project Summary
Individuals with a mental health disorder are at much higher odds of substance use (problems) – including smoking, alcohol use, and cannabis use – compared to the general population. Despite the obvious public health relevance, there is still much uncertain about how this co-morbidity between mental disorders and substance use arises. This hampers effective societal actions, prevention, and treatment.
During the FWiS Fellowship, I will apply an innovative genetic method to resolve remaining uncertainties, combine the resulting findings with findings from a range of scientific disciplines to develop a comprehensive framework, and formulate recommendations for (clinical) practice. The project is unique as I ‘triangulate’ evidence from diverse scientific disciplines, as well as take into account views from policy makers, journalists, and artists. The key deliverable of the project is a set of requirements and recommended strategies for effective treatment of and public health communication on mental health and substance use.