Co-occurring Addiction Research Articles

Housing First for long-term shelter dwellers with psychiatric disabilities in a suburban county: a four-year study of housing access and retention.

Housing First is an effective intervention that ends and prevents homelessness for individuals with severe mental illness and co-occurring addictions. By providing permanent, independent housing without prerequisites for sobriety and treatment, and by offering support services through consumer-driven Assertive Community Treatment teams, Housing First removes some of the major obstacles to obtaining and maintaining housing for consumers who are chronically homeless. In this study, consumers diagnosed with severe mental illness and who had the longest histories of shelter use in a suburban county were randomly assigned to either one of two Housing First programs or to a treatment-as-usual control group. Participants assigned to Housing First were placed in permanent housing at higher rates than the treatment-as-usual group and, over the course of four years, the majority of consumers placed by both Housing First agencies were able to maintain permanent, independent housing. Results also highlight that providers new to Housing First must be aware of ways in which their practices may deviate from the essential features of Housing First, particularly with respect to enrolling eligible consumers on a first-come, first-served basis and separating clinical issues from tenant or housing responsibilities. Finally, other aspects of successfully implementing a Housing First program are discussed.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in SSRI Availability in Substance Abuse Treatment

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in SSRI Availability in Substance Abuse Treatment

Psychodynamic Psychotherapies and the Treatment of Co-Occurring Psychological Trauma and Addiction

Abstract The goal of this chapter is to define some of the basic principles of psychodynamic psychotherapy and to demonstrate how these therapies are useful in helping people recover from co-occurring addictive and trauma related disorders. In distinguishing psychodynamic psychotherapies from other forms of therapy, I will highlight the importance of the context and meaning of trauma, the therapeutic relationship, and the recovery process. After defining trauma and psychodynamic psychotherapy, I will offer an alternative way to conceptualize some commonly seen ego defenses. Effective interventions for assisting clients who present with co-occurring addictive and trauma related disorders will be offered. Lastly, I will point out commonalities between traditional addictions treatment and a model of psychodynamic psychotherapy.

Psychoneurobiology of Co-Occurring Trauma and Addictions

Abstract The primary goals of this chapter are threefold. First, a general overview of psychoneurobiology and the stress response will be given to help the clinician gain a basic understanding of normative and pathological stress responses. This information will not only provide clinicians with a basic understanding but could be useful for psychoeducational purposes in treatment settings. Secondly, reviews of some recent research findings are provided to further facilitate understanding of the implications of co-morbid trauma and addictions. Finally, suggestions for conducting in integrative assessment to facilitate treatment planning will be discussed.

Compulsive Sexual Behavior and Pathological Gambling

Because evidence supports phenomenological, clinical, and epidemiological links between pathological gambling and addictive behaviors, understanding the relationship of compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) to pathological gambling may prove helpful in treating individuals with co-occurring addictions. This study investigates the sexual behaviors of 225 adults (mean age ± SD = 47.3 ± 11.0 years; n = 120 [53, 3] females) who met criteria for pathological gambling. Forty-four (19.6%) subjects met criteria for co-occurring CSB. The symptoms of CSB preceded the onset of pathological gambling symptoms in 31 (70.5%) subjects. Men were more likely to have CSB (X 2 = 4.74; df = 1; p = 0.029). CSB in pathological gamblers appears common, and gamblers should be screened for a co-occurring sexual addiction.