Common Comorbidities with Substance Use Disorders

Common Comorbidities with Substance Use Disorders is organized by EdCompass. This course has been approved for a maximum of 2.00 Continuing Education Credit Hours.

This course expires on 07/01/2024

CEU Course Description:
When two disorders or illnesses occur in the same person, simultaneously or sequentially, and the illnesses interact, they are described as comorbid. This intermediate-level continuing education course, developed using information from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), provides information on the state of the science in the comorbidity of substance use disorders with mental illness and physical health conditions. Commentary on why there is comorbidity between substance use disorders and mental illnesses is presented as well as an overview of diagnosis and treatment for comorbid disorders. Additionally, co-occurring substance use disorder and physical comorbidities are discussed along with the connection between substance use disorders and HIV. Lastly, barriers to comprehensive treatment for individuals with co-occurring disorders are examined.

CEU Course Objectives:
• Describe the connection between substance use disorders and mental illness, including prevalence, characteristics, and causality.
• Identify common risk factors that contribute to both mental illness and substance use and addiction and how mental illness can contribute to substance misuse and vice versa.
• Discuss approaches to the diagnosis of comorbid disorders as well as treatments for comorbid substance use disorder and mental health conditions.
• Provide an overview of the relationship between substance use disorder and chronic physical health conditions, including chronic pain, cancer, and heart disease.
• Summarize the connection between substance use disorders and HIV, and discuss prevention and treatment methods.
• Examine barriers to comprehensive treatment for individuals with co-occurring disorders and ways to address them.