Hospital del Mar’s care model for dual diagnosis, validated by the UN and WHO

A recent article by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) has validated the Hospital del Mar’s dual diagnosis care model for patients with addiction to a substance of abuse and another psychiatric disorder.

Marta Torrens, coordinator of the Addiction Research Group of the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) and Director of the Addiction Process at the Institut de Neuropsiquiatria i Addiccions from Hospital del Mar (INAD), is the second author of the article in which the experts’ recognition is stated.

The model, pioneered at the Hospital del Mar more than 15 years ago, defends a comprehensive approach to patients, taking into account factors such as environment and gender bias.

“The model serves both for doctors and policy makers, so that they become aware of how important it is to detect and treat dual diagnosis early on.”
Marta Torrens, IMIM

Thus, the authors have advocated for the integration of dual diagnosis within the health system and have urged the creation of political strategies to reduce stigma and facilitate the diagnosis of patients.