Bridging that gap: Delivering Scotland’s drug and mental health strategies

Scottish Drugs Forum’s first conference of the year – Bridging That Gap – will focus on the delivery of Scotland’s drug and mental health strategies and has a mix of national and international speakers and workshop presenters confirmed.

Mental health issues can lead people to develop a substance use problem; living with a substance use problem can cause or exacerbate a mental health problem. Mental health can be a significant cause and complication to problem substance use and affects people in midst of crisis and in recovery.

The new drug and alcohol treatment strategy and Scotland’s mental health strategy both commit to better joint working to improve the mental health of people with substance use problems. There is huge potential benefit for individuals in this work but the question remains as to how this can be achieved.