Addictions and Mental Health

Alcohol/Chemical Dependence

Established in the 1960s, the Alcohol Treatment Programme at St Patrick's Hospital is the longest-standing programme at the hospital.

The programme caters for both male and female patients of all ages. The core content of the programme is continually modified based on client requirements, feedback, clinical experience and research advances.

The programme also works closely with Alcoholics Anonymous and the adult children of alcoholics.

Dual Diagnosis

The Dual Mood and Addiction Programme, or Dual Diagnosis Programme was established in St Patrick's Hospital in 2002. It caters for people suffering from an addiction, often alcohol dependence, and who also suffer from a mood problem such as depression or bipolar disorder. It also caters for those who have other addictions including cannabis tranquilliser abuse and other psychiatric problems such as anxiety disorders. The programme grew from the perception that there was a need to treat patients with both addiction and mood problems in a comprehensive and thorough way rather than deal with each problem separately. The multi-disciplinary team caters for both males and females and offers the patient a combination of psychiatry, psychotherapy, occupational therapy, psychological assessment and treatment, as well as a mix of individual and group therapy. We believe in continued improvement of the programme and we have initiated a full research programme to assess and improve the current programme.