Networking: diagnosis and treatment

The report that the Senate Commission for Childhood and Adolescence drew up in 2022 on the phenomenon of pathological addictions among young people revealed an alarming fact: 10% of them declare themselves dissatisfied and do not see any prospects for the future. This discomfort, in the vast majority of cases, is expressed through the onset of pathological addictions that are increasingly related to other psychiatric disorders. This is the drama that the younger generations are experiencing, and with them their families, schools, and society as a whole.

We are not only talking about addictions to psychotropic substances, but also behavioural addictions, such as gambling addiction, technological addiction, sex addiction, shopping addiction, etc.

Altea, an association that was set up to help people and families facing this type of problem, with the collaboration of experts, has developed a scientific programme that will allow doctors, nurses, psychologists, pharmacists, health care assistants, psychiatric rehabilitation technicians, professional educators, biologists and social workers to obtain credits for refresher courses.

The training event is aimed at optimising the diagnosis, treatment and care paths for these patients, who belong to one of the most complex social-health areas. Starting from an analysis of the solutions that our territory offers, it will be pointed out how this area requires a strong interaction that can only be developed through an integrated network of services that also includes the informal networks in the area (voluntary associations, private social work, etc.), in order to overcome the current dualistic approach and address the problem in a multidimensional sense, reviewing the organisational models for taking charge, diagnosis and care.

During the day, we will also talk about designer drugs, i.e. the new substances designed by expert chemists to have effects similar to those of illegal drugs, but which are very difficult to identify, i.e. a world in which a counterculture operates that between clandestine laboratories, the pharmaceutical industry and artificial intelligence has at least 1230 new psychoactive molecules that are highly harmful and consumed mainly among members of the most marginalised social strata.

The training activities will conclude by focusing on an interesting experience of recovery and the importance of networking also with regard to prevention.