Mission and Current Initiatives
Substance related disorders are the most common and deleterious co-occurring problem among persons with severe mental illness, and psychiatric disorders, such as mood, anxiety and personality disorders, are the most complicating factor for persons recovering from alcohol or drug problems. The Dartmouth Dual Diagnosis Center (DDDC) is committed to studying co-occurring substance and mental disorders at all levels: from theory to basic animal models to interventions to dissemination of evidence-based practices.
Current initiatives include the following:
- Animal studies to identify brain reward biomarkers
- Studies of several medications, including clozapine, respiridone, naltrexone, and acamprosate
- Studies of several psychosocial interventions, including family interventions, group interventions cognitive-behavioral treatment, contingency management, and combined interventions (motivational enhancement therapy plus cognitive behavioral therapy)
- Studies of models and implementation strategies in diverse mental health and addiction treatment settings and systems
- Studies of interventions for Hepatitis C infection