This article summarizes existing literature on the prevalence of co-occurring disorders in Drug Court Programs (DCTs).
Drug Court Treatment (DCT) programs are specialty treatment courts that aim to provide effective treatment for substance use in lieu of incarceration. DCT programs have been consistently linked to positive outcomes such as decreased recidivism, substance use, and cost to the community. Due to the growing number of participants presenting with co-occurring psychiatric disorders (CODs), DCT programs have been tasked with integrating effective treatment into traditional DCT models. The present commentary provides a summary of previous research regarding the prevalence of CODs in DCT programs, how DCT programs have addressed treatment of CODs and available outcomes, and recommendations for future research with this population. Overall, evidence exists to suggest DCT programs are especially suited for treating mental health symptoms in addition to substance use.