Understanding Comorbid Substance Use Disorders and Serious Mental Illness
Overview

Resource Availability 

@ American Psychiatric Association. All rights reserved. This course material was originally created for SMI Adviser, and is now utilized with permission for the APAF SMI Learning Resource Center. The content in this course material is still current and relevant, yet, please be aware that some external resources and links may no longer be active or available.    

Description 

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a prevalent problem among individuals in the U.S. Approximately 10 percent of the U.S. population is in recovery from a SUD, even among those receiving treatment, quality of life scores are low and relapse rates are high. Over 25 percent of adults reported engaging in binge drinking in the past month. Those with a severe mental illness are at increased risk for a co-occurring substance use disorder and binge drinking as well as significant negative consequences of this dual-diagnosis. Treatment of these individuals can be challenging. Therefore, the purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders and risky alcohol use and review motivational interviewing techniques, which are particularly efficacious at improving change rate and sustaining change. Medication management and other treatment strategies for providers from primary care and psychiatric specialties will be discussed. 

Learning Objectives 

Cite the prevalence of co-occurring severe mental illness and substance use disorders and heavy drinking. 

Identify substance use disorders and high-risk alcohol consumption in those with serious mental illness. 

Evaluate treatment options for effectively managing dual-diagnosis serious mental illness and substance use disorders.  

Outline 

  • Substance Use Disorders 
  • Comorbidity with Serious Mental Illness 
  • Diagnostic Criteria 
  • Screening Tools 
  • Treatment Approaches 

Target Audience 

Psychiatrist, Physician (Non-psychiatrist), Physician Assistant, Psychologist, Counselor, Social Worker, Peer Specialist/Peer Support 

Instructional Level 

Intermediate; Advanced 

Estimated Time to Complete 

Estimated Duration: 1.0 hours  
Program Start Date: January 21, 2026
Program End Date: January 21, 2029

Certificate of Participation 

After completing the evaluation, participants will have the opportunity to download a certificate of participation. No continuing education credits are provided for this activity.  

Faculty and Planner Disclosures 

The American Psychiatric Association adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity - including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others - are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.  

Faculty 

  • Donna Rolin, PhD, APRN, University of Texas at Austin. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests. 
  • Amanda Simonton, MSN, RN, PMHNP-BC, CARMAhealth. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests. 

Program Planners 

  • Teri Brister, PhD, LPC, National Alliance on Mental Illness. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests. 
  • Amy N. Cohen, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests. 
  • Tristan Gorrindo, MD, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests. 

Reviewers 

  • Teri Brister, PhD, LPC, National Alliance on Mental Illness. Dr. Brister has no relevant financial relationships to disclose. (Reviewed on 5/4/22) 
  • John Torous, MD, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Torous has no relevant financial relationships to disclose. (Reviewed on 5/2/22) 

Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities 

The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA’s online resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 for assistance. 

Technical Requirements 

This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following: 

The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari 

Internet Explorer 11+ 

This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player. 

Optimal System Configuration: 

Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version) 

Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version) 

Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher 

Minimum Requirements: 

Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content 

Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content 

For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity |  

Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance 

Summary
Availability:
On-Demand
Expires on Jan 21, 2029
Credit Offered:
1 COP Credit
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