CCIS CCIS Substance Use & Co-Occurring Disorders 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Co-occurring disorders (also called dual diagnosis) refer to:
- Two clients in the same crisis session
- The simultaneous presence of a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder (Correct answer)
- A counselor working in two agencies at once
- Recurring crises in a single client
Correct answer: The simultaneous presence of a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder
Co-occurring disorders describe when an individual has both a diagnosable mental health condition and a substance use disorder at the same time, requiring integrated treatment approaches.
Question 2: During a crisis, alcohol or drug intoxication most commonly:
- Eliminates the need for a mental health assessment
- Increases impulsivity and can worsen the severity of the crisis (Correct answer)
- Protects against suicidal behavior
- Improves the client's ability to engage in problem-solving
Correct answer: Increases impulsivity and can worsen the severity of the crisis
Intoxication lowers inhibitions, impairs judgment, and increases impulsivity, all of which can escalate a mental health crisis and increase suicide risk.
Question 3: The CAGE questionnaire screens for:
- Depression severity
- Trauma history
- Problematic alcohol use (Correct answer)
- Psychosis risk
Correct answer: Problematic alcohol use
CAGE (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener) is a brief four-question screening tool used to identify potential alcohol use disorders.
Question 4: A crisis specialist working with an intoxicated client should prioritize:
- Conducting a full trauma assessment immediately
- Ensuring physical safety and waiting for the client to become more coherent before deeper intervention (Correct answer)
- Discharging the client to their vehicle
- Administering a cognitive function test
Correct answer: Ensuring physical safety and waiting for the client to become more coherent before deeper intervention
Physical safety is the immediate priority with an intoxicated individual, and meaningful crisis counseling is typically deferred until the client can engage more coherently.
Question 5: Which term describes using substances to cope with symptoms of anxiety, depression, or trauma?
- Polypharmacy
- Self-medication (Correct answer)
- Pharmacotherapy
- Relapse
Correct answer: Self-medication
Self-medication refers to the use of alcohol or other substances to manage distressing emotional or psychiatric symptoms in the absence of professional treatment.
Question 6: When a client in opioid withdrawal presents to a crisis line, the specialist should recognize that withdrawal:
- Is never medically serious
- Can be life-threatening and may require emergency medical referral (Correct answer)
- Only affects psychological functioning
- Is identical to alcohol withdrawal in presentation
Correct answer: Can be life-threatening and may require emergency medical referral
While opioid withdrawal is rarely fatal on its own, it can be severe and distressing, and complications may warrant medical evaluation; alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal can be life-threatening.
CCIS CCIS Substance Use & Co-Occurring Disorders 1
Co-occurring disorders (also called dual diagnosis) refer to: