Course Summary

Co-occurring bipolar disorder and substance use disorder pose a serious health risk to affected individuals. Patients with dual diagnoses may experience substantial challenges during treatment for their mental illness and recovery from substance use. Early diagnosis and intervention can significantly improve the potential outcomes for patients with a dual diagnosis. The changes made in this area within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders guide health clinicians managing bipolar disorder complicated by a substance use disorder to lower the health risks throughout the age spectrum.  This is the first in a 3 part series on this topic.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

  • I. Introduction
  • II. DSM-5 Criteria for a Substance Use Disorder
    • 1.   Bipolar Disorder Classifications
  • III. Etiology of Bipolar Disorder
    • 1.   Age
    • 2.   Genetics
    • 3.   Gender
  • IV. Bipolar Disorder: Mood Episodes and Symptoms
    • 1.   Mania
    • 2.   Hypomania
    • 3.   Depression
    • 4.   Mixed Mood Episodes
  • V. Case Study: Comorbid Bipolar and Substance Use Disorder
    • 1.   Discussion
  • VI. Summary

Author

Dana Bartlett, RN, BSN, MSN, MA, CSPI

Dana Bartlett is a professional nurse and author. His clinical experience includes 16 years of ICU and ER experience and over 27 years as a poison control center information specialist. Dana has published numerous CE and journal articles, written NCLEX material, textbook chapters, and more than 100 online CE articles, and done editing and reviewing for publishers such as Elsevier, Lippincott, and Thieme. He has written widely on the subject of toxicology and was a contributing editor, toxicology section, for Critical Care Nurse journal. He is currently employed at the Connecticut Poison Control Center. He lives in Wappingers Falls, NY.