Grant: Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse

Dependence on opiates, alcohol and other drugs of abuse are major health problems in Canada. The costs associated with substance dependence are extensive; exacting an enormous toll in terms of health care costs, mental illness, poor quality of life, unemployment and crime. Concomitant risks include the transmission of the human immunodeficiency (HIV), hepatitis B and C viruses, and tuberculosis, as well as a high incidence of death due to overdoses. Previous studies conducted by the applicants have shown that substance dependent patients with concurrent mental disorders have poorer outcomes in treatment; they are less likely to complete detoxification and outpatient care, they experience higher levels of relapse, and they suffer from higher levels of polysubstance abuse, undiagnosed/ untreated chronic pain syndromes, as well as untreated mood and anxiety and personality disorders. The current proposal seeks to develop a Team dedicated to the development of efficacious "integrated" interventions for concurrent disorders, appropriate for multiple practice environments. The current Team is comprised of patients, researchers, clinicians and service providers at the Addictions Unit and Allan Memorial Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, as well as community partners in local front-line health clinics (Centre de Sante et de Services Sociaux (CSSS)). The Team has extensive research and treatment experience, as well as the necessary infrastructure, facilities and trained personnel to conduct randomized controlled trials of new medications, family and CBT-oriented psychotherapy trials, qualitative research, knowledge syntheses as well as knowledge translation, training and dissemination activities.