Using the WHO ASSIST to Assess Drug and Alcohol Misuse in the Acute Mental Health Setting to Guide Treatment Interventions

Abstract

This article reports the prevalence of alcohol and substance use in 695 patients with mental illnesses admitted to an inner city acute mental health unit over a 14 month period. Data were collected from routine screening for alcohol and substance use on admission to the acute mental health unit using the World Health Organisation (WHO) Alcohol Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST).The substances most frequently used were tobacco, alcohol and cannabis. Interventions aimed at decreasing the frequency of use and harms associated with use of tobacco, alcohol and cannabis therefore have the greatest potential to improve health outcomes in this population.As drug and alcohol impact significantly on mental health outcomes, assessment of substance use, recognition of addictive behaviours, withdrawal management that includes appropriate pharmacological intervention and supportive counselling that is initiated in the acute mental health setting and continued post discharge are important to the person’s recovery and ongoing quality of life.