Toward Substance Use Health and Mental Health Service Integration: Findings from a Scoping Review

Substance use health and mental health (SUHMH) are closely linked, with many people experiencing challenges relating to both at the same time. Polling by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) and the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) has found that COVID-19 had significant, persistent, and complex impacts on SUHMH. At the same time, the pandemic also accelerated the evolution of innovative health policy and technology. In response to these findings, CCSA and the MHCC undertook a systematic review of academic literature related to SUHMH service provision published between 2018 and 2021. This review reinforced the need for SUHMH integration and helped isolate some of the themes and key factors influencing the broader uptake of integrated models.