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Welcome to the PARCY Foundation, a foundation established to Promote Awareness about and Research into Concurrent disorders in Youth.

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What is a Concurrent Disorder?

People with a mental health issue are more likely to have substance misuse issues, and people with substance misuse issues are more likely to have mental health issues (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2010). A concurrent disorder means that a person is dealing with a substance misuse issue and a mental health issue at the same time. Concurrent disorders most commonly develop during adolescence (Canadian Centre on Substance abuse, 2009). Youth with concurrent mental health and substance use disorders are an underserved population (Dennis, Chan, & Funk, as cited in Watson, Carter, & Manion, 2014) and they experience many barriers to mental heath care. The stigma around mental illness alone can prevent youth from not seeking help for themselves or reaching out to peers with mental health issues (Bulanda, Bruhn, Byro-Johnson, & Zentmyer, 2014). Yet “if left untreated, youth with concurrent disorders are at risk for many harmful and costly outcomes including suicidality, homelessness, school dropout, and involvement in crime” (Deas & Thomas, Esposito‐Smythers & Spirito, as cited in Watson, Carter, & Manion, 2014, p. 4.).

The Numbers

The Canadian Centre on Substance abuse (2009) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (2010) suggest that concurrent disorders are a significant health issue in Canada— more than half of those who seek help for substance misuse also have a mental illness. In our province, British Columbia, approximately 130,000 people live with a concurrent disorder (Canadian Centre on Substance abuse, 2009). Kwan and Yip (2011) even suggest that concurrent disorders are among the most prevalent mental disorders worldwide.

The Stigma

As it was mentioned earlier, the stigma around mental illness alone can prevent youth from either seeking help for themselves or reaching out to peers with mental health issues (Bulanda et al., 2014). This places youth with mental health issues in a particularly precarious position, especially when considering both that stigmatizing reactions are highest toward adolescents and that people who label a youth's situation as a mental illness are likely to distance themselves from the youth (Martin, Perscosolido, Olafsdottir, & Mcleod, 2007). The importance of addressing this stigma in the process of increasing awareness about concurrent disorders cannot be downplayed, especially when taking into consideration that “the consequences of stigma can be profound, including affecting individual’s self-esteem, decreasing opportunities for social interactions, and reducing the likelihood of care seeking for one’s mental health problem” (Corrigan, as cited in Bulanda et al., 2014, p. 74). Even though at least some youth may feel either indifferent or combative towards this stigma (Corrigan & Watson, 2002), its presence demands for a change in perspective by the general population.

PARCY's Objectives

At The PARCY Foundation, our objective is to promote health in youth with concurrent disorders (CCD) through research and education, specifically in the areas of: 1) treatment, 2) understanding, and 3) identification and intervention.

A CCD means that a person simultaneously has a substance misuse issue and a mental health issue. CCDs commonly develop in youth, and youth with CCD are underserved. Untreated youth with CCD are at risk for harmful outcomes including suicide, homelessness, and criminal activity. CCDs are a significant problem—over half of those who seek help for substance misuse in Canada also have a mental illness.

Regarding area (1): The addiction and mental health issue in CCD are often treated separately even though simultaneous treatment is most effective. Worse, many youth can't access mental health services if they misuse substances, and youth who want treatment for addiction are often turned down—especially if they take medication for their mental illness. There is an urgent need for and development of more effective and integrated interventions.

Area (2): There is a need to better understand mental health conditions and substance use and how they interact.

Area (3): CCDs commonly develop during adolescence, and the most effective treatment is early intervention. There is a need to better identify youth at risk and to intervene earlier.

We work to promote health and well-being in youth with CCD through research and education in these three identified areas and by widely and freely distributing this research in the following ways by partnering with high schools, universities and colleges (specifically those with teacher education and counselling psychology programs), action groups, and conference platforms to share the resources (in the form of documentary and books) created by the Society. In doing so, we aim to foster health and well-being (i.e., in the three identified areas) for youth with CCD. We also share our research with and partake in action teams for mental health and youth (such as the BURNABY LAT) and we share our research and projects in seminars and workshops at national and international conferences for mental health and youth.

Check out the feature on PARCY's founder, Gerda, on page 62 of volume 9, issue 3 of Art Trends!

References

Bulanda, J.J., Bruhn, C., Byro-Johnson, T., & Zentmyer, M. (2014). Addressing Mental Health Stigma among Young Adolescents: Evaluation of a Youth-Led Approach.  Retrieved from http://hsw.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/05/07/hsw.hlu008.abstract

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (2010). Concurrent substance use and mental health disorders An information guide.  Retrieved from https://knowledgex.camh.net/amhspecialists/resources_families/Documents/concurrent_guide_en.pdf

Corrigan, P. W. & Watson, A. C. (2002). The paradox of self-stigma and mental illness. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 9(1),35-53.

Canadian Centre on Substance abuse. (2009). Substance abuse in Canada: concurrent disorders. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.

Kwan, B. & Yip, K. (2011). The development trends, theories, and perspectives on substance abuse and psychiatric comorbidity (dual diagnosis) in adolescents. Journal of Youth Studies, 14 (1), 41.

Gillian, K. Watson, G., K. Carter, C., & Manion, I. (2014). Pathways to care for youth with concurrent mental health and substance use disorders. Ontario Centre of Excellence. Retrieved from http://www.excellenceforchildandyouth.ca/sites/default/files/concurrent_sa_and_mh_disorders_policy_paper_final.pdf

Martin, J., K., Perscosolido, B. A., Olafsdottir, & Mcleod, J. D. (2007). The Construction of Fear: Americans' Preferences for Social Distance from Children and Adolescents with Mental Health Problems. Journal of Health and Social Behavior March 2007, 48(1) 50-67. doi: 10.1177/002214650704800104