Clients with co-occuring disorders much more likely to be psychiatrically hospitalized than clients with mental illness or substance abuse disorders.

According to a study in Psychiatric Services in January, 2008, clients with co-occuring disorders were 3 - 4 times more likely to be hospitalized than clients with mental illness only, and 10 -20 times more likely to be hospitalized than clients with a substance abuse disorder only. Here is a snippet from the article:

Clients with co-occurring disorders were three to four times more likely to be hospitalized than clients with mental illness only and ten to 20 times more likely to be admitted than clients with a substance use disorder only. The average number of inpatient days per admitted client differed across states by more than 100% for each diagnostic group (Figure 1). Despite the divergence in absolute values across states, in each state the length of inpatient stays were longest for admitted clients with mental illness only, followed by those with co-occurring disorders and those with a substance use disorder only. Yet across all clients, not just those admitted, the annual average number of hospital days per group was highest for the group with co-occurring disorders



GCASA treats many patients with co-morbid psychiatric and substance abuse disorders. We have MICA (Mentally Ill Chemical Abuser) specialists who work in both our clinics in Batavia and Albion and we collaborate closely with the Mental Health Clinics in both counties.