This webinar will review the complex relationship between suicide and substance misuse, with a focus on opioid use disorder (OUD). Methodological challenges in detecting drug poisoning suicides will be reviewed. The presentation will also discuss recent clinical data on treatment-seeking patients who have survived opioid overdose and highlight intervention and prevention strategies for caring for patients with OUD.

Format

Recorded webinar, non-interactive, self-paced distance learning activity.

This presentation was recorded on November 17, 2021.

Learning Objectives

• Describe how suicide risks are elevated for both prescription and illicit opioid misuse.
• Define psychological and social risk factors commonly experienced by OUD patients.
• Discuss how opioids have the highest lethality among suicide poisonings and apply personalized suicide prevention planning approaches to enhance care and reduce premature death.

Target Audience

Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Physician (non-psychiatrist), Physician Assistant, Other mental health professionals 

Instructional Level

 Intermediate

Estimate Time to Complete

Estimated Duration: 1.0 hour
Program Start Date: November 23, 2021 
Program End Date: November 23, 2024

How to Earn Credit

Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ or a certificate of participation may do so by viewing the live presentation and completing the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (other disciplines) showing the event date and hours earned.

Continuing Education Credit

Physicians

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The APA designates this live event for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 

Faculty and Planner Disclosures

All financial relationships relevant to this activity have been mitigated.

Instructor

• Hilary S. Connery, MD, PhD, is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and serves as the clinical director for McLean Hospital’s Center of Excellence in Alcohol, Drugs, and Addiction. Dr. Connery’s expertise includes treatment of opioid use disorders and integrated treatments for co-occurring substance use disorders and other mental illnesses. Her current research efforts are directed toward public health prevention strategies for addressing self-injury mortality, and patient-focused investigation regarding suicidal motivations contributing to drug overdose. Dr. Connery is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and has served within the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry as New England area director, co-chair of the policy committee, and as a national mentor within the national mentoring program through Providers Clinical Support System. In these roles, she actively advocates for more effective responses to the drug overdose and suicide epidemics, and also nationally mentors clinicians in evidence-based treatment of substance use disorders. Dr. Connery reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Planners

• John Torous, MD, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities

The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. Please contact the American Psychiatric Association at 202-559-3900, if you require assistance seven (7) business days prior to the start of a live webinar.

Technical Requirements

This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:

• The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
• Internet Explorer 11+

This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.

Optimal System Configuration:

• Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher

Minimum Requirements:

• Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
• Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content

For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact Learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance