Mental Health & Co-Occurring Disorders Flashcards

When providing recovery mentorship to someone with a co-occurring mental health disorder, the CRM should prioritize:

Answer: An integrated approach that addresses both conditions simultaneously

Integrated treatment that addresses both substance use and mental health simultaneously leads to better outcomes than sequential or parallel approaches.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder frequently co-occur because:

Answer: Substances may be used to self-medicate trauma symptoms such as flashbacks and hyperarousal

Individuals with PTSD often use substances to manage distressing symptoms like hyperarousal, nightmares, and emotional numbing — a pattern called self-medication.

Which of the following symptoms is characteristic of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) that a recovery mentor might observe?

Answer: Persistent low mood, loss of interest, and fatigue

MDD is characterized by persistent depressed mood, anhedonia (loss of interest), fatigue, and other symptoms lasting at least two weeks.

A CRM notices a client with anxiety disorder is avoiding all social situations since stopping substance use. The BEST initial response is to:

Answer: Encourage the client and refer them to appropriate mental health services

Encouraging the client and facilitating referral to a mental health professional ensures both conditions receive appropriate care.

The term 'self-medication hypothesis' in co-occurring disorders suggests that:

Answer: People use substances to relieve untreated psychiatric symptoms

The self-medication hypothesis proposes that individuals use substances to cope with underlying, often undiagnosed psychiatric symptoms.

Which of the following behaviors should prompt a CRM to make an immediate mental health referral?

Answer: Expressions of suicidal ideation or intent to harm self or others

Any expression of suicidal ideation or intent to harm requires immediate referral to a mental health or crisis professional.