Addressing Substance Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic (With CE)

$40.00

Presenter:  Dr. Mandy D. Owens

Dr. Owens is a licensed psychologist and an active member of the American Psychological Association, Research Society on Alcoholism, and Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. She regularly attends relevant webinars to stay abreast of updates in clinical practice and will incorporate the most recent information into her presentation.

Overview:         

Dr. Owens’s presentation will include a thorough literature review through September 2021 on changes in substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple studies consistently showed an increase in alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic (Barbosa, Cowell, & Dowd, 2021; Grossman, Benjamin-Neelon, & Sonnenschein, 2020; Pollard, Tucker, & Green, 2020), with some evidence connecting this increase directly to COVID-related stress (Grossman et al., 2020). Fewer studies have examined changes in drug use, but limited research also has shown increases in drug use during the pandemic (Niles, Guden, Radcliff, & Kaufman, 2021). Given these increases during the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians should reassess clients’ alcohol and drug use and the role it may play for coping with stress. Although little to no studies have tested treatments for substance use disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic specifically, adaptations to existing evidence-based coping skills for alcohol and drug use will be discussed (e.g., Satre et al., 2020).

 

Learning Objectives:

  1. Describe the rates of substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic;
  2. Recognize the signs and symptoms of a substance use disorder; and
  3. Utilize three strategies to address substance use.
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Description

Presenter:  Dr. Mandy D. Owens

Dr. Owens is a licensed psychologist and an active member of the American Psychological Association, Research Society on Alcoholism, and Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. She regularly attends relevant webinars to stay abreast of updates in clinical practice and will incorporate the most recent information into her presentation.

Overview:         

Dr. Owens’s presentation will include a thorough literature review through September 2021 on changes in substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple studies consistently showed an increase in alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic (Barbosa, Cowell, & Dowd, 2021; Grossman, Benjamin-Neelon, & Sonnenschein, 2020; Pollard, Tucker, & Green, 2020), with some evidence connecting this increase directly to COVID-related stress (Grossman et al., 2020). Fewer studies have examined changes in drug use, but limited research also has shown increases in drug use during the pandemic (Niles, Guden, Radcliff, & Kaufman, 2021). Given these increases during the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians should reassess clients’ alcohol and drug use and the role it may play for coping with stress. Although little to no studies have tested treatments for substance use disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic specifically, adaptations to existing evidence-based coping skills for alcohol and drug use will be discussed (e.g., Satre et al., 2020).

 

Learning Objectives:

  1. Describe the rates of substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic;
  2. Recognize the signs and symptoms of a substance use disorder; and
  3. Utilize three strategies to address substance use.