Founded in 2005 by a group of leading psychiatrists and healthcare professionals, the Spanish Society on Dual Disorders (SEPD) was established with the fundamental objective of promoting study, research, and training in the field of dual pathology (the coexistence of an addictive behavior and another mental disorder). It consolidated itself as one of the first and most influential monographic scientific societies internationally with this specific orientation.
At the healthcare level, traditional services often operate in a fragmented or parallel manner for addictions and mental health. In response, SEPD drives a cross-cutting, integrated approach to ensure that a single patient experiencing multiple clinical manifestations receives unified and comprehensive care.
It is a fast-growing, multi-professional scientific organization that brings together a diverse group of physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, and other healthcare practitioners. The society is dedicated to breaking down the “double stigma” suffered by these patients and ensuring their correct social reintegration and equitable access to vital pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments.
The society organizes its well-established national congresses annually, which have become the highest-attended scientific events within psychiatry and mental health in Spain, actively collaborating in joint meetings with the WADD itself.
Founded in 2015 by leading international psychiatrists, the World Association on Dual Disorders (WADD) was chaired by Professor Pedro Ruiz, its first president. He had extensive international experience, having served as president of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) from 2011 to 2014 and, previously, as president of the American Psychiatric Association (APA).
Internationally, several scientific societies focus on mental disorders, while others focus on addictions. However, WADD is the only scientific society dedicated to dual disorders, addiction, and other mental disorders—a highly prevalent clinical condition.
It is a scientific association that currently (2026) has over 1,250 members worldwide, created for psychiatry and mental health professionals, and dedicated to the research and treatment of dual disorders.
WADD stands as the only global scientific organization focused on dual disorders. With a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach, it develops a comprehensive bio-psycho-social model rooted in neuroscience and precision psychiatry, serving as a global platform for knowledge exchange, research, and training on dual disorders.
Current President of WADD: Dr. Nestor Szerman. (Spain)
Since its founding, WADD has organized its annual congresses as joint meetings with local scientific societies: Florence, Morocco, Slovenia, and Paris.
congress@dual-disorders.com
www.dual-disorders.com