Drug and Alcohol Use Disorders

This subject is not offered in 2014.

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Objectives, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.
It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and the Disability Liaison Unit: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

The unit will provide an introduction into the area of substance abuse - definitions, classification systems, and epidemiology including incidence, prevalence and risk factors. It will cover the major substances of abuse including alcohol and other central nervous system depressants, stimulants and hallucinogens. The unit will have a practical approach, covering issues of features of the substance abuse disorder, assessment, long term effects and complications, family issues and medical and psychosocial management.

The interface between the substance abuse disorder and mental health and the issue of “Dual Diagnosis”, i.e. the co-occurrence of serious mental illness and substance use disorder in a particular person will comprise a major focus of the selective. Issues specific to the field of “Dual Diagnosis” such as epidemiology, the relationship between mental disorder and substance use disorder, the diagnosis of the respective conditions and their acute and long-term management will be covered.

Delivery of care in various treatment settings such as inpatient care, home-based detoxification, and residential support and rehabilitation services will be examined. Theoretical aspects of addiction and the psychological framework for treatment such as Prochaska and Di Clemente’s ‘stages of change’, motivational interviewing, 12 steps programme of AA, co-dependency, relapse prevention and Zimberg’s social setting will be explored. The wider impact of substance abuse in the community will be covered, including prevention and health promotion, public education, the media, political, economic and social issues related to the availability of substances.

• Describe the epidemiology, aetiology, psychopathology, clinical features, complications and natural history of substance abuse disorders and the issues specific to “Dual Diagnosis” field
• Describe the organisations involved in the delivery of drug treatment services
• Demonstrate the clinical skills and knowledge needed to assess and develop treatment interventions for patients with substance use disorders
• Demonstrate the skills required to communicate clearly with colleagues especially in relation to the implications of psychiatric issues with colleagues, patients and carers including the specific interpersonal skills required in the management of patients with substance use disorders and to effectively liaise with medical and non-medical colleagues in non-psychiatric settings

• Written assignment 1500 words due at the end of term (40%)
• Oral presentation to class of 15 minutes duration during weeks 2-6 (30%)
• Fieldwork - log book which details the student’s assessment and management of 6 patients with substance use disorders (30%)
• A hurdle requirement of 75% attendance of sessions, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

• Solomon, J., Zimberg, S. & Shollar, E. (ed) (1993), Dual diagnosis: Evaluation, Treatment, Training and Program Development, Plenum Medical Books Co, New York
• Gitlow S. (2001), Substance Use Disorders, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia
• Cami J & Farre M (2003), Mechanisms of disease: Drug Addiction, New England Journal of Medicine 2003: 349 (10) pp. 975-986

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.