Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches for the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders and Co-occurring Mental Health Conditions

Substance use disorders (SUD) are prevalent, complex medical conditions. Individuals with SUD vary considerably in clinical severity, accompanying medical sequelae, degree of functional impairment, often struggle with comorbid psychiatric conditions. Cognitive-behavioral therapies for individuals with SUD and co-occurring mental health conditions have shown to be effective in reducing psychopathology and substance use and increasing the chances of remission. This chapter highlights three CBT-based interventions for this patient population: Dialectical Behavior Therapy; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; and Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders Using Prolonged Exposure (COPE) and provides an illustrative case example for each treatment approach to demonstrate how to implement each intervention.