Drug and alcohol services - co-occurring substance use and mental health concerns: survey

2. Methodology

A survey was sent by email to a total of 349 individuals who work within services that provide support to people who use substances. This includes contacts from the 189 front line services across Scotland who respond to the Drug and Alcohol Information System (DAISy)^[1], the 42 members of the residential rehabilitation providers group, and the Scottish Addiction Specialist Group, a semi-formal group of 118 key individuals working in substance use services in Scotland.

The criteria for inclusion in the survey were individuals that worked within Alcohol and Substance Use services in Scotland, however those that were based in criminal justice services were excluded. While the individuals contacted were not asked to distribute the survey further, it is possible that they may have done so resulting in a wider sample than was approached.

The survey questions were designed to provide a snapshot, at the time of completion, of the provision and availability of the support available to address mental health needs within substance use services. The survey comprised of 26 questions^[2] (see Appendix A) that were developed in consultation with clinical experts. Questions were included on current approaches to service provision, referral pathways, integration of mental health and substance use services, gaps in provision and examples of good practice. The survey was conducted between 28 September and 4 October 2022.