Mindfulness for Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorders: Approaches, Mechanisms, and Evidence

Social Workers

3.00 - CE credit hours training

$18.00 - Cost of course

This page contains important information about the course, including training details, a comprehensive course description, learning objectives, and source references. We encourage you to review each section to gain a clear understanding of the course content, educational goals, and supporting materials before beginning your training and taking the POST TEST below.

Target audience and instructional level of this course: foundational
There is no known conflict of interest or commercial support related to this CE program.

Mindfulness for Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorders: Approaches, Mechanisms, and Evidence

Course Training

Follow the link below, read the material and then take the 18 question post test

Read the Course Material:
Mindfulness for Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorders: Approaches, Mechanisms, and Evidence

Post Test

18 Questions

1. From "Brewer, Bowen, Smith, Marlatt, and Potenza - MDD and SUDS": The authors report that cognitive behavioral therapy has been modified for people with co-occurring SUDs and depression and has shown __________________ effects.

a. small b. moderate c. large d. no significant

2. From "Brewer, Bowen, Smith, Marlatt, and Potenza- Mindfulness training for co-occurring disorders: theoretical, clinical and neurobiological perspectives": Clinical data regarding the efficacy of mindfulness approaches for SUDs and mental disorders is presented. The authors conclude that this data provides a rationale for the hypothesis that MT may target shared underlying mechanisms in MDD and SUDs in a dually diagnosed population.

a. True b. False

3. From "Brewer, Bowen, Smith, Marlatt, and Potenza-Mindfulness training for co-occurring disorders: theoretical, clinical and neurobiological perspectives": The authors cite overlapping factors common to depression and SUDs. Which of the following do they NOT cite as an overlapping factor?

a. psychological b. activation of brain regions c. behavioral d. hormonal e. dietary

4. From "Brewer, Bowen, Smith, Marlatt, and Potenza - Mechanism of action in mindfulness training": The authors suggest a connection between attention training and reduction of depressive symptoms. The proposed connection is:

a. increased attention to positives leads to a better outlook and less stress and depression. b. paying attention to one's depressive thoughts reduces depressive feelings c. turning attention away from ruminative thinking reduces stress and thus reduces depressive symptoms. d. increased attention to relaxed feelings reduces stress and depression.

5. From "Brewer, Bowen, Smith, Marlatt, and Potenza - Mechanism of action in mindfulness training": The authors suggest that amongst dually diagnosed clients the acceptance component of mindfulness training can support _________________________.

a. increased insular and vmPFC activation patterns. b. decreased insular and dlPFC activation patterns. c. increased insular and dlPFC activation patterns.

6. From "Mindfulness and Addiction Treatment": The authors state what mindfulness is not. From their perspective mindfulness is not:

a. the sole component of substance abuse treatment b. a relaxation technique c. a mystical or religious endeavor d. A and C e. all of the above

7. From "Mindfulness and Addiction Treatment": The authors outline an important role that mindfulness-based interventions can play, particularly in early recovery. What is that role?

a. Clients can use mindfulness skills to support affective regulation as they try to abstain while simultaneously confronting the reality of serious consequences of their addiction. b. The positive feelings from mindfulness practice can gradually replace the addictive substances. c. The spiritual enrichment from mindfulness can support 12 step recovery. d. Mindfulness helps clients accept their powerlessness over addiction.

8. From "Mindfulness and Addiction Treatment": So far, the outcomes of Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention indicate:

a. no additional benefit beyond treatment as usual. b. it can be utilized immediately upon starting treatment. c. it decreases cravings and increases acceptance, but does not lower rates of substance use. d. it lowers rates of substance use beyond treatment as usual.

9. From "Mindfulness and Addiction Treatment": The authors address the question of potential side effects from mindfulness-based approaches. What do they say?

a. there are no known side effects b. benefits outweigh side effects c. side effects have been reported

10. From "Systematic Review of Mindfulness Meditation for Substance Use Disorders - Introduction": The authors note that the theoretical framework for mindfulness meditation suggests that it may be a promising approach to treating addictive disorders. The mindful experience of attending to and accepting the present moment is seen as a potentially effective in addressing which common experiences of SUD-affected persons?

a. the tendency to be on "auto-pilot" b. grandiosity c. pre-occupation with the "next fix" d. A and B e. A and C

11. From "Systematic Review of Mindfulness Meditation for Substance Use Disorders - Methods": The review excluded studies that:

a. lacked pre- and post-intervention assessments. b. were non-experimental studies. c. were unpublished. d. were funded by pharmaceutical companies.

12. From "Systematic Review of Mindfulness Meditation for Substance Use Disorders - Results": When looking at RCT studies that compared mindfulness meditation to standard care, mindfulness meditation showed:

a. less substance use reduction than standard of care alone. b. no significant difference in substance use reduction compared to standard of care. c. better substance use reduction than standard of care alone.

13. From "Systematic Review of Mindfulness Meditation for Substance Use Disorders - Results": When looking at RCT studies that compared mindfulness meditation to pharmacotherapy with medical management, mindfulness meditation showed:

a. less substance use reduction than pharmacotherapy alone. b. no significant difference in substance use reduction compared to pharmacotherapy. c. better substance use reduction than pharmacotherapy alone.

14. From "Systematic Review of Mindfulness Meditation for Substance Use Disorders - Results": Amongst the non-randomized controlled studies the effects sizes for substance use reduction were ____________ and the effect sizes for relapse triggers were ______________.

a. non-existent; small to medium b. small to medium; medium to large c. medium to large; small d. small to medium; non-existent

15. From "Systematic Review of Mindfulness Meditation for Substance Use Disorders - Results": Some studies looked at the treatment experiences of those receiving mindfulness interventions. Together these studies found:

a. MM therapy was well received, but used little after treatment. b. MM therapy was well received except for the spiritual aspects. c. MM therapy was well received, and used consistently after treatment by 50-100% of clients. d. MM was generally seen as just another relaxation technique.

16. From "Systematic Review of Mindfulness Meditation for Substance Use Disorders - Discussion": The authors note that "pragmatic aspects of these studies included meeting patient\'s expectations of receiving a "promised treatment," the ability of the therapist to better select the patient, and study methods that more closely resemble real clinical settings." What kinds of studies are they referring to?

a. non-randomized controlled studies b. case studies c. randomized controlled studies d. all of the above

17. From "Systematic Review of Mindfulness Meditation for Substance Use Disorders - Discussion": The authors suggest that, given the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions with substance use disorders and with other clinical problems that are known SUD relapse risk factors, that mindfulness interventions may be particularly helpful with co-occurring SUDs and mental health disorders.

a. True b. False

18. From "Systematic Review of Mindfulness Meditation for Substance Use Disorders - Discussion": The authors propose that mindfulness interventions and cognitive behavioral interventions are distinct and can be complementary. They support this proposal by citing studies showing:

a. they produce better results together than alone. b. MM and CBT can produce different effects on mental health outcomes. c. clients view mindfulness-related skills as different than standard therapy for addiction. d. A and C e. B and C

Course Description

Course Description

Improve your knowledge on Mindfulness for Substance Use and Co-occurring Disorders with this course. Both depression and substance use disorders represent major global health concerns and are often co-occurring. Although there are ongoing discoveries regarding the pathophysiology and treatment of each condition, common mechanisms and effective treatments for co-occurring depression and substance abuse remain elusive. Mindfulness training has recently been shown to benefit both depression and substance use disorders, suggesting that this approach may target common behavioral and neurobiological processes. This course offers a theoretical, clinical and neurobiological perspective of the overlaps between these disorders, highlights common neural pathways that play a role in depression and substance use disorders, and discusses how these commonalities may frame our conceptualization and treatment of co-occurring disorders. Finally, it details how advances in our understanding of potential mechanisms of mindfulness training may offer not only unique effects on depression and substance use, but also offer promise for treatment of co-occurring disorders.

Learning Objectives

describe theoretical and neurobiological rationale for the use of mindfulness-based treatment approaches for substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders.
summarize principles and practices in the use of mindfulness-based treatment approaches for substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders.
outline the research evidence pertaining to the use of mindfulness-based treatment approaches for substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders.

Source

Judson A. Brewer, MD, Ph.D.
Joseph T. Smith, MD
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine

Sarah Bowen, Ph.D.
G. Alan Marlatt, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology, University of Washington

Marc N. Potenza, Ph.D., MD
Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine

Wendy Hausotter, M.Ed.
Problem Gambling Prevention Coordinator at Oregon Department of Human Services

Traci Rieckmann, PhD, NFATTC
Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University

Social Workers