CARE Series: Treatment of Co-Occurring Alcohol Use Disorder and Depression

Monday, December 1, 2025, 12:00 PM - Friday, December 1, 2028, 1:00 PM

AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hours), ANCC Nursing Contact Hours (1.00 hours), CME-Designated Participation Credit (1.00 hours)

Review of:

• Diagnosis of co-occurring Alcohol Use Disorder and Depression

• Overview of evidence-based treatments for Alcohol Use Disorder and Depression

• Developing care plans combining medication and behavioral treatments

• Managing clinical challenges

Presenter

R. Kathryn McHugh, Ph.D.
Chief of Psychology and Director of the Stress, Anxiety and Substance Use Laboratory
McLean Hospital 
Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School

Dr. Kate McHugh is the Chief of Psychology and Director of the Stress, Anxiety and Substance Use Laboratory at McLean Hospital and an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Boston University. Dr. McHugh's research focuses on the nature and treatment of substance use and other psychiatric disorders. Her work is currently funded by grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and she has published more than 190 manuscripts and book chapters as well as an edited book published by Oxford University Press. She is a recipient of a number of awards, including the Ann M. Cataldo Excellence in Mentoring Award. Dr. McHugh is a practicing clinical psychologist, specializing in cognitive-behavioral therapy for the treatment of anxiety, depressive, and substance use disorders.

1. Identify one approach to differential diagnosis of substance-induced vs. independent depression.
2. Describe one treatment model and one specific intervention for managing co-occurring alcohol use disorder (AUD) and depression.
3. Discuss two common challenges encountered in the treatment of co-occurring AUD and depression.

In support of improving patient care, Dartmouth Health is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. 

American Medical Association (AMA)
Dartmouth Health designates this Enduring Material for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
Dartmouth Health designates this Enduring Material for a maximum of 1.00 ANCC contact hours. 

All other learners may claim CME-designated participation credit. Consult your professional licensing board regarding the applicability and acceptance of CME-designated participation credit for programs certified for credit by organizations accredited by Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Education.

Registration/Requirements for Successful Completion
You may claim credit for successful completion of this online course. In order to claim credit, you must follow these steps:

1. Click the Register tab above. If you are not logged into your account, you will need to log in. Use the Forgot Your Password? button if you need to reset your password.

2. Register for the activity.

3. Click the Content/Tests tab and then View Content to view the recording. View the entire presentation.

4. Complete the Post-Test (attestation - return to the Content/Tests tab to find it).

5. Click the Complete Evaluation button, or click My Account in the menu bar; then click Evaluations.

6. Complete and Submit the Evaluation.

Bibliographic Material

• Daughters SB, Magidson JF, Anand D, et al. The effect of a behavioral activation treatment for substance use on post-treatment abstinence: A randomized controlled trial. Addiction. 2018;113(3):535–544.

• Hesse M. Integrated psychological treatment for substance use and co-morbid anxiety or depression vs. treatment for substance use alone. A systematic review of the published literature. BMC Psychiatry. 2009;9:6.

• McHugh RK, Weiss RD. Alcohol use disorder and depressive disorders. Alcohol Res. 2019. 40:arcr.v40.1.01

• Nunes EV, Levin FR. Treatment of depression in patients with alcohol or other drug dependence: A meta-analysis. JAMA. 2004;291(15):1887–1896. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.291.15.1887.

• Nunes EV, Liu X, Samet S, et al. Independent versus substance-induced major depressive disorder in substance-dependent patients: Observational study of course during follow-up. J Clin Psychiatry. 2006;67(10):1561–1567.

• Petrakis I, Ralevski E, Nich C, et al. Naltrexone and disulfiram in patients with alcohol dependence and current depression. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2007;27(2):160–165.
  
  

Provider Contact Information
Provider contact information for questions regarding accreditation of the activity:

Center for Learning and Professional Development
ACE Office
Dartmouth Health
[email protected]

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

Dartmouth Health adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education.  Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity, including planners, faculty, authors, or others are required to disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies^.  All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.

^Ineligible Company is any entity whose primary business purpose is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.