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Cognitive Behavioral Approaches for Substance Use Disorders

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The Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Part of the book series: Current Clinical Psychiatry ((CCPSY))

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Abstract

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are prevalent, complex medical conditions that are frequently encountered in primary care, mental health, and specialty care settings. Individuals with SUDs vary considerably in clinical severity, accompanying medical sequelae, and degree of functional impairment, and often struggle with comorbid psychiatric conditions. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an intuitive, theory-driven psychotherapeutic approach that has been shown to be effective in reducing the harm associated with substance use and increasing the chances of remission. This chapter highlights the theoretical rationale for cognitive behavioral interventions for SUD, describes how to implement CBT based on a simplified model of substance use behavior, and provides an illustrative case example of using CBT to treat SUD. As periods of relapse are common along the path to full remission and recovery from SUD, ongoing behavioral management and monitoring using cognitive behavioral approaches is likely to be helpful.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Center for Addiction Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 151 Merrimac Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Julie D. Yeterian M.A., Allison K. Labbe Ph.D. & John F. Kelly Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Behavioral Medicine Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, One Bowdoin Square, 7th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Allison K. Labbe Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Julie D. Yeterian M.A.
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  2. Allison K. Labbe Ph.D.
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  3. John F. Kelly Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to John F. Kelly Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Timothy J. Petersen

  2. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Susan E. Sprich

  3. Simches Research Building, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Sabine Wilhelm

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Yeterian, J.D., Labbe, A.K., Kelly, J.F. (2016). Cognitive Behavioral Approaches for Substance Use Disorders. In: Petersen, T., E. Sprich, S., Wilhelm, S. (eds) The Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Current Clinical Psychiatry. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2605-3_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2605-3_15

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-2604-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-2605-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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