Can Complexity Theory Help Us to Understand Mental Health Policy?

The authors explore the nature of mental health and addictions through a complexity lens. Observations are offered on the entangled nature of one’s mental health and addictions. The separation of mental health versus addictions treatment services in modern healthcare systems is also explored. The structure of many mental health and addictions treatment systems seems to be inconsistent with what we understand to be the complex phenomenon that they intend to address. This, even after several decades of debate about this inconsistency. The authors offer suggestions from complexity theory that may assist practitioners when considering the challenges and complex nature of mental health and addictions treatment system management.