Clients with dual diagnosis and their specifics in the process of treatment in therapeutic communities for drug addicts: self-medication phenomenon and late abstinence psychopatology

This thesis is about clients who are in treatment in therapeutic communities for drug addicts and suffer with a mental illness alongside drug addiction. The theoretical part summarizes the definition and description of dual diagnosis, the prevalence of people with dual diagnosis and discusses the possibilities of therapeutic approaches to clients with these specific demands. Finally, attention is paid to the theory of self-medication for symptoms of mental illness through addictive substances which supports the theoretical model of addiction as a result of reactions to psychiatric illness. The research was carried out at the research group, which was formed by all clients currently in treatment in two therapeutic communities for drug addicts in July 2015. The research was conducted as a quantitative design through non-standardized questionnaire. This research shows that from the total number of respondents, 79% had a psychiatric diagnosis in addition to substance abuse. Most often these were methamphetamine users and multiple substance users. From psychiatric disorders were most strongly represented personality disorders, depressive disorders and disorders from psychotic spectrum. With respondents who reported substance abuse to suppress psychopathological symptoms occurred reduction of most of..