Dr. Tsuang is the director of the Dual Diagnosis Treatment Program at the Harbor/UCLA Medical Center.  He is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the  UCLA School of Medicine.  Dr. Tsuang received his M.D. and Master Degree from the University of Iowa.  He completed his psychiatry residency training and a two-year substance abuse fellowship at UCSD.  Since then, Dr. Tsuang has committed his life’s work to treatment of dual diagnosis patients.  Dr. Tsuang’s research interests focus on the pharmacological treatment and psychosocial rehabilitation for dual diagnosis patients.   Dr. Tsuang has received numerous awards, including UCLA Department of Psychiatry’s  Teacher of the Year and the NAMI National’s Exemplary Psychiatrist Award as well as the Peggy and Don Richardson Memorial Award.  Outside of his professional life, Dr. Tsuang enjoys taking care of his three young daughters and playing golf once in awhile.  

 

Presentation Title:
"Mental Health, Substance Use and Drug Addiction"

 

Purpose:
Many may not realize that alcohol use and tobacco use represent a form of substance use and drug addiction. The purpose of this lecture is for the audience to realize there is a biological reason for certain combinations of problems in patients, where mental health problems underlie substance use. This lecture will examine the connection between substance abuse and mental illness and its prevention of substance misuse.

 

Objectives: 

  • Describe how anxiety, depression, and antisocial behavior can contribute to substance use problems 
  • Describe the interaction of mental health and pain disorders
  • Summarize data on depression and alcohol use 
  • Recognize patients where mental health problems interact with illnesses and substance use 
  • Incorporate screening for depression and anxiety 
  • Obtain detail history for substance use and drug addiction