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

Target audience and instructional level of this course: foundational

There is no known conflict of interest or commercial support related to this CE program.

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

After completing this training the professional will:

• 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.

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

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