Co-Occurring Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders Flashcards

What is the currently preferred approach to treating clients with co-occurring mental and substance use disorders?

Answer: Integrated treatment that addresses both disorders at the same time

Evidence supports integrated treatment, with both conditions addressed concurrently, ideally by the same team, because each disorder affects the course of the other.

A client in early abstinence reports persistent depressed mood. What is the best first step?

Answer: Assess symptom history and timing, monitor suicide risk, and refer for a diagnostic evaluation if needed

Symptoms may be substance-induced or an independent disorder. Careful assessment, suicide risk screening, and referral for diagnosis are standard practice.

Which of the following is a common co-occurring condition among people with substance use disorders?

Answer: Posttraumatic stress disorder

PTSD, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and ADHD frequently co-occur with substance use disorders.

The 'self-medication hypothesis' suggests that:

Answer: Clients use substances to relieve psychiatric symptoms or distress

The hypothesis holds that some people use substances to cope with psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety or trauma responses, which is why treating the underlying condition matters.

Under SAMHSA's quadrant model, a client with a high-severity mental disorder and a high-severity substance use disorder should receive services that are:

Answer: Coordinated or integrated across systems, with intensive support

Clients with high severity in both areas need intensive, integrated or closely coordinated care across the mental health and addiction systems.

Which screening tool is commonly used to screen for depression in substance use treatment settings?

Answer: PHQ-9

The PHQ-9 is a validated 9-item depression screener. CAGE and AUDIT-C screen alcohol use, and the ASAM criteria guide level-of-care placement.