Treatment for Stimulant Use Disorders: Approaches to Treatment

Course overview

Course Description: This course is based on material published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and is available as an open access article. Despite an increase in research into psychosocial treatments for people with stimulant use disorders, currently the only treatment with significant evidence of effectiveness is contingency management (CM). Other psychosocial treatments that have some support (especially if used in combination with CM) are cognitive behavioral therapy/relapse prevention, community reinforcement, and motivational interviewing. There currently are no Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for stimulant use disorders, making it even more important that behavioral health and healthcare service providers understand and offer (or offer referrals for) CM or other psychosocial treatments. Other nonpharmacologic treatment approaches and strategies may also be useful for supporting recovery and improving health and well-being, including physical exercise, the Matrix model of neurobehavioral treatment, family or couples therapy, and mindfulness meditation. Clinicians need to promote harm reduction (e.g., through educating about needle exchange programs, offering naloxone, encouraging the use of fentanyl test strips) to people with stimulant use disorders who are not interested in formal treatment, because harm reduction techniques can help save lives. Many clinical management strategies have been developed to deal with clinical issues common in people with stimulant use disorders, like cognitive problems, intoxication issues, and co-occurring mental disorders. This course on treating stimulant use disorders is designed for clinical social workers, psychologists, professional counselors, nurses, and substance abuse counselors who do clinical work. This course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop their expertise with treating stimulant use disorders. The course material includes a literature review of interventions. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require continuing clinical education courses for license renewal. The course is based on a journal article that includes research. It contains statistical analysis and data that some clinicians enjoy reading and others do not. A significant benefit of reading peer reviewed research-based articles for continuing education is that they provide practitioners with the latest findings in their field. Authors: SAMHSA Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding treating stimulant use disorders. Specifically, a professional will: Recognize documented psychosocial treatment approaches for stimulant use disorder. Identify treatment approaches with supportive research. Recognize models for psychosocial treatment of stimulant use disorder. Citation: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2021). Treatment for Stimulant Use Disorders: Approaches to Treatment Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://store.samhsa.gov.