Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 21 March 2023

Joint Committee On Health

Dual Diagnosis and Mental Health: Discussion

Mr. Mick Williams:

Ms McGillivary gave eloquent answers to some of the Senator's questions. We get referrals from specialist care services and GPs about people who have been diagnosed as having, for example, a personality disorder or as being bipolar. These are the main diagnoses. A bugbear for me is that, in the 22 years I have worked in addiction services, I have never received referrals from these institutions relating to people diagnosed with substance use disorders. Substance use, bipolar and personality disorders are all in the same textbook that psychiatrists and doctors have, that being, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM. They are all disorders, but I have never received a referral from-----