Chronic Pain and Serious Mental Illnesses: An Approach to Diagnosis and Management
Resource Availability
This course material was originally created by SMI Adviser, now rebranded as SMI CalAdviser. The content in this course material is still current and relevant, yet, please be aware that some external resources and links may no longer be active or available. 
Overview

Chronic pain is a very common condition affecting up to 20% of adult population. Studies indicate that chronic pain often co-occurs with psychiatric illnesses, including depression, anxiety, and SMI.  Data also indicates that this co-occurrence leads to a number of worsened outcomes. This webinar will use a de-identified case to illustrate the relevant topic. The webinar will first introduce the case. It will then go into some of the data showing co-morbidity, as well as outcomes related to co-morbid pain and mental illnesses. Next, the webinar will explore bio-psychosocial models that may explain this co-occurrence.  Finally, the webinar will lay out an approach to appropriate diagnosis and management of the patient with co-occurring chronic pain and SMI. The management recommendations will begin with psychosocial, will then go into pharmacological, and end with exploratory ideas. Throughout this content, the webinar will emphasize effective communication strategies with the patient. The webinar will return to the de-identified case periodically to better illustrate these concepts.  

Format 

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

This presentation was recorded on July 7, 2022. 

Learning Objectives  

Evaluate and treat a patient with co-occurring chronic pain and SMI.   

Utilize existing data to create an effective bio-psycho-social treatment plan for a patient with co-occurring chronic pain and SMI.   

Use motivational interviewing to effectively communicate with the patient.  

Outline 

  • Case study for consideration  
  • Definitions and epidemiology of SMI and chronic pain   
  • Models of explanation  
  • Treatment approaches   
  • Attendee Q&A  

Target Audience 

Psychiatrist, Physician (Non-Psychiatric), Physician Assistant, Pharmacist, Psychologist, Counselor/Therapist, Social Worker, Peer Specialist 

Instruction Level 

Intermediate 

Estimated Time to Complete  

Estimated Duration: 1.0 hour  
Program Start Date: July 30, 2025   
Program End Date: July 30, 2028  

Ongoing Interdisciplinary Discussion Board  

After completing the course, engage with colleagues in the mental health field through the Webinar Roundtable Topics discussion board. This is an easy way to network and share ideas with other clinicians who participate in this webinar. Access through the discussion tab.  

How to Earn Credit 

After completing the evaluation, participants will have the opportunity to claim their hours of participation and download the appropriate certificate. Physicians may obtain an official CME certificate, other healthcare professionals may receive a CE certificate (as applicable), and all other attendees may generate a certificate of participation. Each certificate will reflect the event date and total hours earned. 

Continuing Education Credit 

In support of improving patient care, American Psychiatric Association (APA) 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.  

Physicians   

The APA designates this live event for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.   

Nurses/Nurse Practitioners   

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) designates this activity for 1.00 Nursing contact hours. Nurses should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.   

Psychologists   

Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs.  

Social Workers    

As a Jointly Accredited Organization, American Psychiatric Association (APA) is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. APA maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive up to 1.00 clinical continuing education credits. 

 

***Continuing education requirements vary from state to state. Many state boards grant reciprocity with national accrediting organizations and other state boards. It is the responsibility of each professional to understand the requirements for license renewal or check with the state or national licensing board and/or professional organization to become more familiar with their policies for acceptable continuing education credit. Social workers and Psychologists should contact their regulatory board to determine course approval.    

 

Faculty and Planner Disclosures 

The American Psychiatric Association adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity - including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others - are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.  

Faculty  

  • Snehal Bhatt, MD is a board-certified physician in General Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry.  He is an associate professor at the University of New Mexico, where he serves as the chief of addiction psychiatry and the fellowship director for the Addiction Psychiatry program.  He is currently involved in a number of federal grants aimed at improving access to OUD treatment, including ED initiated buprenorphine and low threshold buprenorphine.  Additionally, he is currently the site-PI for a phase 2 study exploring psilocybin as a treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder, a phase 2 study evaluating a novel NMDA antagonist as a treatment for opioid withdrawal, and a NIDA CTN study evaluating ways to optimize outcomes for patients with opioid use disorders.    

Program Planners 

  • Teri Brister, PhD, LPC, National Alliance on Mental Illness. Dr. Brister has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.   
  • Amy Cohen, PhD, American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Cohen has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.  
  • John Torous, MD, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Torous has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.  
  • Sherin Khan, LCSW, Thresholds. Ms. Khan has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.  
  • Donna Rolin, PhD, APRN, University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Rolin has no financial relationships to disclose.  

Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities 

The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA’s online resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 for assistance. 

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 support@smicaladviser.org for technical assistance 

Summary
Availability:
On-Demand
Expires on Jul 30, 2028
Credit Offered:
1 CME Credit
1 NCPD Credit
1 Psychology CE Credit
1 Social Work CE Credit
1 COP Credit
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