Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy

Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy

Antipsychotic drugs are a crucial treatment method for acute and chronic psychoses, bipolar illness, and behavioral disorders. The selection of these drugs depends on several factors, including the state of the disease, clinical judgment, possible drug interactions, and the patient's sensitivity to adverse effects. In immediate scenarios, such as delirium and dementia, short-term treatment with low doses of high-potency typical or atypical agents can effectively manage symptom exacerbation. For...

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Atypical antidepressants, including bupropion (Wellbutrin), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone (Serzone), trazodone (Desyrel), and vilazodone (Viibryd), offer unique mechanisms of action. Bupropion weakly inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, aiding depression treatment and smoking cessation, with a low risk of sexual dysfunction. Mirtazapine enhances serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmission, leading to sedation, increased appetite, and weight gain. As a result, it helps treat...

Drug Therapy

Drug Therapy

The advent of drug therapy has profoundly shaped modern mental health care, providing targeted treatments for a range of psychological disorders. Psychotherapeutic drugs, classified into antianxiety, antidepressant, and antipsychotic medications, address symptoms across anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia. While these medications have transformed patient outcomes, they require careful management due to their potential side effects and limitations.
Antianxiety Medications

Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep

Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep

Substance use disorders involve a pattern of using drugs more extensively than intended and continuing use despite harmful consequences. This includes legal substances like alcohol and nicotine, as well as illegal drugs. These disorders often involve both physical and psychological dependence, reflecting compulsive use of substances that significantly alter thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, contributing to a major public health issue.
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...

Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders

Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders

Treatment approaches for psychological disorders fall into three main categories: psychological, biological, and sociocultural. Each approach targets different aspects of mental health, requiring varying levels of education and training.
Psychological therapies focus on modifying emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, challenging, and modeling. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers commonly practice psychotherapy. Clinical...

Stress and Mental Health

Stress and Mental Health

Chronic stress profoundly affects mental health, significantly influencing mood, behavior, and overall quality of life. Research closely links chronic stress with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Ongoing exposure to stress can lead to physiological and psychological changes, initiating a cycle of emotional distress and maladaptive coping mechanisms.
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Predictors of Follow-Up Engagement in an Adolescent Alcohol Longitudinal Cohort.

Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs·2026

Same author

From school climate to brain development: What the ABCD study reveals about the educational context of adolescence.

Developmental cognitive neuroscience·2026

Same author

Developmental relations between internalizing symptoms and negative urgency during middle adolescence.

Development and psychopathology·2026

Same author

Social Determinants of Health and Pediatric Long COVID in the US.

JAMA pediatrics·2026

Same author

Structural brain recovery following reductions in adolescent and young adult binge drinking: A longitudinal NCANDA study.

Developmental cognitive neuroscience·2025

Same author

Mutual age-varying influences of binge drinking and cannabis use during emerging adulthood in the NCANDA cohort.

Alcohol, clinical & experimental research·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Investigating Drivers of Antireward in Addiction Behavior with Anatomically Specific Single-Cell Gene Expression Methods

Investigating Drivers of Antireward in Addiction Behavior with Anatomically Specific Single-Cell Gene Expression Methods

Published on: August 4, 2022

Does initial treatment focus influence outcomes for depressed substance abusers?

Michelle L Drapkin¹, Susan R Tate, John R McQuaid

¹VA San Diego Healthcare System and University of California, San Diego, CA 92093-0109, USA.

Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment

|February 26, 2008

Summary

For adults with co-occurring alcohol/substance dependence and depression, the initial treatment focus in integrated cognitive-behavioral therapy (ICBT) or twelve-step facilitation did not impact substance use or depression outcomes. Modular group formats with flexible entry points are supported.

More Related Videos

Robotically Delivered fMRI-Guided Personalized Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Robotically Delivered fMRI-Guided Personalized Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Published on: April 10, 2026

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Investigating Drivers of Antireward in Addiction Behavior with Anatomically Specific Single-Cell Gene Expression Methods

Investigating Drivers of Antireward in Addiction Behavior with Anatomically Specific Single-Cell Gene Expression Methods

Published on: August 4, 2022

Robotically Delivered fMRI-Guided Personalized Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Robotically Delivered fMRI-Guided Personalized Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Published on: April 10, 2026

Area of Science:

Psychiatry
Clinical Psychology
Addiction Medicine

Background:

Effective interventions for adults with comorbid alcohol/substance dependence and depressive disorders are scarce.
Few existing treatments for these dual diagnoses have undergone rigorous empirical testing.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between the initial treatment focus and outcomes in psychotherapy for adults with comorbid alcohol/substance dependence and depression.
To assess the impact of treatment entry module on retention, substance use, and depression symptoms.

Main Methods:

A randomized clinical trial comparing integrated cognitive-behavioral therapy (ICBT) and twelve-step facilitation (TSF).
Participants (N=197) were adults with alcohol and/or substance dependence and depressive disorders.
Interventions were delivered in group formats with modular structures and rotating entry points every 4 weeks.

Main Results:

The initial treatment focus (entry module) was not significantly related to percentage days abstinent, proportion of abstinent participants, or depression symptom severity at 12 and 24 weeks postbaseline for either ICBT or TSF.
Participant attendance rates were comparable across treatments, irrespective of the initial module, with a minor exception noted in the ICBT condition.

Conclusions:

Modular psychotherapy formats with multiple or rotating entry points are effective for treating adults with comorbid alcohol/substance dependence and depressive disorders.
The specific initial focus of treatment does not appear to influence key outcomes, supporting flexible group intervention designs.