Dually Diagnosed
A clinical descriptor for an individual who meets diagnostic criteria for both a psychiatric disorder and a substance use disorder concurrently.
Full Definition
The term 'dually diagnosed' (also rendered as 'dual diagnosis') is used in mental health service documents to indicate co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders in the same individual. It is a common and clinically significant designation because treatment planning, billing, and program eligibility often differ for dually diagnosed clients. Editors must be alert to inconsistent hyphenation ('dually-diagnosed' versus 'dually diagnosed') and should follow the house style of the publishing organization. The term is distinct from 'comorbidity,' which may refer to any two co-occurring conditions regardless of whether one is a substance use disorder. In some contexts, particularly intellectual disability services, 'dual diagnosis' may refer to co-occurring intellectual disability and psychiatric disorder, so editors should clarify usage when context is ambiguous.
Usage
Usage note: Prefer 'co-occurring disorders' in formal and patient-facing documents, as many style guides consider it less stigmatising. Flag 'dually diagnosed' for author review if the document does not clarify whether the dual diagnosis refers to psychiatric + substance use or psychiatric + intellectual disability.
In Context
- "The program was specifically designed for dually diagnosed adults whose substance use disorder complicated their bipolar disorder management." — Program description document
- "Editors should ensure 'dually diagnosed' is used consistently throughout the report and not interchanged with 'comorbid' without clinical justification." — Clinical outcomes report