The Coexistence of Mental Health & Substance Use
The coexistence of both a mental health and a substance use disorder is referred to as co-occurring disorders.
Co-occurring disorders were previously referred to as dual diagnoses. According to SAMHSA’s 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) (PDF | 3.4 MB), approximately 7.9 million adults in the United States had co-occurring disorders in 2014.
People with mental health disorders are more likely than people without mental health disorders to experience an alcohol or substance use disorder.