Ch. 1: What Are Co-Occurring Problems?

The first reading for Module 14 provides you with an overview of what we are talking about in terms of co-occuring problems: specifically, problems that often co-occur with substance use, substance misuse, and substance use disorders. While this content emphasizes mental disorders and disability, remember that there are many other types of problems that may co-occur with substance misuse, as well. These include:

• Incarceration, involvement with the criminal justice system, and legal problems
• Exposure to, witnessing, or perpetrating violence and other forms of exploitation (physical, sexual, emotional, intimate partner, community violence, as well as child maltreatment)
• Housing instability or homelessness
• Unemployment, underemployment, and worker exploitation (including sex trafficking)
• Physical health problems that are both acute and chronic or have long-term consequences (infectious disease exposure, infections, reduced resistance, lack of preventive health or prenatal care, malnutrition, injury, death)
• Compromised mental health (mental disorders, stress, anxiety, depression, suicide risk)
• Behavioral addictions (gambling, for example)

The first reading comes from a textbook about addiction; we will not be reading the entire piece, only an excerpt from: vanWormer, K., & Davis, D.R. (2013). Substance misuse with a co-occurring mental disorder or disability. In Addiction treatment: A strengths perspective, third edition (pp. 452-474). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

In this first chapter you will read about:

• mental health conditions, stress, and other disorders (gambling, eating disorders, personality disorders, mood and thought disorders)
• a case example related to one veteran’s experience (which relates to Chapter 3)
• integrated treatment models, and
• key terms used in the field of substance use disorders and addiction.