Diagnosis and Treatment of Behavioral Addictions – ADCN 608

CG • Section 8WK • 11/08/2019 to 04/16/2020 • Modified 09/05/2023

Course Description

This course provides an overview of the history, theory, and current research perspectives in the etiology, assessment, diagnosis and treatment of behavioral addictions. Specific attention will be paid to examining the similarities and differences between substance addictions and behavioral addictions. Physiological, psychological, and sociocultural aspects will be explored.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) officially recognized the first behavioral addiction in 2013 with the inclusion of Gambling Disorder in the DSM-5.  The APA is considering the integration of more behavioral addictive disorders in future revisions. Addiction counseling professionals must be competent when helping those who struggle with these challenging conditions.  They must be knowledgeable of areas including: theories and etiology of addictive behavior which address biopsychosociospiritual aspects; theoretical, legal, and ethical concerns; and assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and relapse prevention.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. The student is required to create a thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion. The initial thread must be 350–400 words and must contain at least 1 scholarly source cited in current APA format. In addition to the initial post, the student is required to reply two classmates' threads. Each reply must be 250–300 words and use at least 1 scholarly source in current APA format.

Note: Acceptable scholarly sources include the Read materials or professional journal articles (no websites – with the exception of professional organizations, i.e. SAMHSA, NCBI, NAADAC, ACA, etc.).

Community Impact Project Assignments (4)

The community impact project is meant to help the student explore his/her community and determine what behavioral addiction is most prevalent in the area. The area can include the student’s immediate locale, region, or state. The community impact project will be completed in the following four parts:

Topic Submission Assignment

The student will write 3-5 sentences on why they chose the topic. 

Background Information Assignment 

This assignment will need to be 3 to 5 pages in length and supported by at least 5 scholarly sources.

Prevention, Treatment, and Action Plan Assignment 

This assignment will need to be 3 to 5 pages in length and supported by at least 5 scholarly sources.

Presentation Assignment

The presentation will need to be 10 to 15 minutes in length, covering the assignment requirements and expectations.

Each part of the assignment will be submitted separately, culminating in a final presentation of the project. Please see assignment instructions for more details.

Case Study Assignment

The case study assignment is designed to help you make application of course content to a counseling situation. You are to choose a case study from The Behavioral Addictions text, determine the key issues presented, provide diagnostic impressions based upon the DSM-5 or if it is not currently in the DSM, other scholarly materials, and develop treatment recommendations. You may choose a case study from any of the chapters in the text, please just choose a topic that is of interest to you. The Case Study assignment must be 3–4 pages of content (5 pages total).

Quizzes (4)

There will be four quizzes that cover the course material and textbook readings. These quizzes are 25 questions each, and consist of true/false, multiple choice, and multiple answer questions. Students will have one hour to complete each quiz during the week assigned.

Quiz: Dispositions Reflection

This quiz will allow students to reflect on the 9 dispositions required for the program.