What is the impact of living with a mental health condition and substance use?

At a glance

People with a mental health condition have a higher rate of drug and alcohol use than the general community. While the exact number is unclear, it is estimated that between one third and two thirds of people seeking specialist mental health services also experience a substance use issue.

Some people may use drugs or alcohol to cope with their mental health condition or distress. For others, alcohol and other drug use or dependence may cause a range of mental health symptoms, including anxiety, depression and psychosis. Experiences of psychosis may occur if someone is withdrawing from alcohol or if someone is intoxicated with drugs. In most cases, these effects will disappear. However, these symptoms may continue for some people even after they stop using alcohol or other drugs.

Regardless, the bottom line is that both conditions will have an impact.

… [it must be understood] that substance use is a way of coping with the person’s emotional experiences. Without this, stigmatising presumptions of poor self-control and self-indulgence might apply.

- A person with lived experience of a mental health condition

People who experience both mental health conditions and substance misuse may:

be more unwell and experience poorer general physical health
find their mental health symptoms or severity of alcohol or drug use are made worse
be reluctant or afraid to access additional support services to manage their substance use
not understand the link between substance use and their experience
have an increased risk of self-harm
not be aware of the effect of substances that they use on their medication
become more withdrawn and avoid social contact
have difficulty with personal relationships, accessing social support services and maintaining housing.

Mental health conditions affect everyone differently. This also applies to people with substance misuse and people where these are coexisting conditions.

Resources

Drug and Alcohol, and Comorbidity Fact Sheets
The fact sheets on this web page have been developed to answer questions around substance use for a range of mental health conditions.
Type: Fact sheets
Length: Approximately 2 pages per fact sheet
Produced by: eCliPSE

What is dual diagnosis?
This web page gives an overview of dual diagnosis (coexisting mental health condition and substance use) and associated issues, and lists where to go for help and support.
Type: Web page
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
Produced by: Alcohol and Drug Foundation

For parents with mental health plus drug and alcohol issues
This is an overview written specifically for parents. It has some practical tips that may also be useful for service providers.
Type: Web page
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
Produced by: NSW Department of Family and Community Services

Mental illness and substance-use disorder often co-occur
In this video, Julia shares her experience of substance use and mental health conditions.
Type: Video | Closed captions
Viewing time: 3.55
Produced by: PA Post

Talking about Drugs and Mental Health
This is a video of lived experience produced by TouchBase, Australia’s National Drug & Alcohol website for LGBTI Communities.
Type: Video | Closed captions
Viewing time: 3.04
Produced by: Thorne Harbour Health