Comorbidity between Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders (2 CEs)

In this program, I will review the conceptualization of comorbidity, including its etiology. I will discuss why co morbidity occurs and how it impacts the course of treat ment. I will provide examples from the scientific literature on frequently comorbid conditions. I will then discuss the evaluation of patients with comorbid substance use disor ders and mental health disorders. This section will focus on considering a host of clinical data to inform treat ment planning for individuals with comorbid conditions. I will then spend time discussing the elements of success ful treatments for comorbid conditions. The premise of the session is that comorbid conditions should be treated concurrently for treatment to be successful. I will discuss examples of specific comorbidities (e.g., PTSD + substance use disorder) and review scientific developments to address these comorbid disorders. I will conduct this seminar by combining lecturing, question & answer periods, and polling tools to engage the audience.