Co-occurring Disorders, Emotion/Mood Literacy, and Emotion/Mood Regulation

Abstract

There is a need for integrated treatment for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (i.e., co-occurring disorders or COD). However, evidence-based practice guidelines for COD are not yet supported by a mature body of research. Front-line programs and practitioners have no alternative but to explore ways to improve their own COD theory and practice knowledge. A rural adult outpatient addiction treatment agency in Ontario, Canada wanted to improve its ability to assist people with COD. The majority of COD involved mood and/or anxiety disorders concurrent with substance abuse or dependence. A qualitative hermeneutic phenomenology approach generated three COD practice/theory developments: adopting a functional evolutionary perspective vis-a-vis the purpose of emotion/mood experiences; focusing on enhancing COD service users’ emotion/mood literacy; and focusing on emotion/mood regulation in terms of mental health and substance use. Findings are discussed. While not generalizable, the developments may contribute to hypotheses that can be tested for generalizability.