It is estimated that roughly 50% of women with SUDs have co-morbid mental illness.  Additionally, women with serious mental illness are 5 to 11 times more likely to have a Substance Use Disorder than those in the general population. Co-occurring disorders are more difficult to treat and must be considered together in an integrated treatment plan. According to SAMHSA:  Integrated treatment is “a unified treatment approach to meet the substance use, mental health, and related needs of a client.”                                                                                 

The most common co-occurring mental health disorders in women with SUDs include Mood Disorders, especially Major Depressive Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, and Personality and Eating Disorders.  We will discuss some of the characteristics of these disorders and how they relate to substance use in the upcoming slides.