CAC Co-occurring Disorders 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which integrated treatment model for co-occurring disorders has the strongest evidence base?
- Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT) (Correct answer)
- Sequential treatment model
- Parallel treatment model
- Stepped care model
Correct answer: Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT)
IDDT is recognized as the gold standard for treating co-occurring disorders, combining mental health and substance use treatment by the same team in the same setting.
Question 2: A client in SUD treatment is prescribed an antidepressant by a psychiatrist. The addiction counselor's role is to:
- Support medication adherence as part of the integrated treatment plan (Correct answer)
- Discourage medication because it represents a chemical dependency
- Refer the client to a medication-only program
- Avoid discussing psychiatric medication outside of their scope
Correct answer: Support medication adherence as part of the integrated treatment plan
Addiction counselors should support psychiatric medication as part of a holistic recovery plan and recognize that treating co-occurring conditions improves SUD outcomes.
Question 3: Which symptom cluster helps differentiate a substance-induced anxiety disorder from a primary anxiety disorder?
- Symptoms persist well beyond the expected period of intoxication or withdrawal (Correct answer)
- The client reports the anxiety began before substance use started
- Symptoms resolve with psychotherapy alone
- The client has a family history of anxiety
Correct answer: Symptoms persist well beyond the expected period of intoxication or withdrawal
If anxiety symptoms persist significantly beyond the period of substance effects, they suggest a primary (independent) anxiety disorder rather than a substance-induced one.
Question 4: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is considered a risk factor for substance use disorders because:
- Impulsivity and reward-seeking behaviors associated with ADHD increase vulnerability to addiction (Correct answer)
- ADHD medications cause addiction in all users
- ADHD lowers intelligence, making it harder to resist peer pressure
- ADHD causes chronic pain that leads to opioid misuse
Correct answer: Impulsivity and reward-seeking behaviors associated with ADHD increase vulnerability to addiction
The impulsivity, risk-taking, and reward-seeking tendencies characteristic of ADHD lower the threshold for initiating and escalating substance use.
Question 5: In a 'parallel treatment' model for co-occurring disorders, mental health and addiction services are provided:
- Separately by different providers with limited coordination (Correct answer)
- Simultaneously by a single integrated team
- Sequentially — first one, then the other
- Only in residential settings
Correct answer: Separately by different providers with limited coordination
Parallel treatment involves separate providers addressing each condition independently, often resulting in poor coordination and mixed messages for clients.
Question 6: A client with co-occurring bipolar disorder and alcohol use disorder is most at risk for which outcome if the alcohol use disorder is untreated?
- More frequent and severe mood episodes (Correct answer)
- Remission of bipolar disorder over time
- Reduced need for mood stabilizing medications
- Spontaneous recovery from both disorders
Correct answer: More frequent and severe mood episodes
Ongoing alcohol use destabilizes mood regulation and interferes with the effectiveness of psychiatric medications, worsening the course of bipolar disorder.
CAC Co-occurring Disorders 2
Which integrated treatment model for co-occurring disorders has the strongest evidence base?