Lesson 1Timeline follow-back, standard drinks, cocaine use metrics, polysubstance explorationThis section explains timeline follow-back method, standard drink measures, cocaine use indicators, and how to track multiple substance patterns over time to assess risk, aid diagnosis, and follow treatment progress with real-life Nigerian clinical cases.
Timeline follow-back interview techniqueDefining and calculating standard drink unitsCocaine quantity, purity, and route metricsDocumenting polysubstance patterns over timeUsing metrics to monitor treatment responseLesson 2Psychiatric history and symptom review techniques for mood, anxiety, psychosisThis section teaches systematic mental health history taking in addiction care, covering mood, anxiety, psychosis, and sleep issues, with focus on separating substance-related symptoms, using simple screening tools, and checking daily functioning and risks relevant to Nigerian contexts.
Eliciting past and current psychiatric diagnosesScreening for mood and anxiety in substance usersRecognizing psychosis and substance-induced statesAssessing sleep, cognition, and functional impactUsing brief validated psychiatric screenersLesson 3Social determinants: housing, employment, legal issues, insurance and accessThis section looks at assessing social factors affecting health like housing, jobs, legal troubles, insurance, and care access, and demonstrates how to use these insights for treatment plans, advocacy, and linking to local Nigerian community resources.
Housing stability and living environmentEmployment, income, and financial stressorsLegal involvement and criminal justice issuesInsurance coverage and care access barriersLinking patients to social and legal resourcesLesson 4Detailed substance use history: quantity, frequency, pattern, routes, binge/withdrawal signsThis section shows how to gather detailed substance use history, including when it started, amounts, how often, methods, bingeing, withdrawal signs, past treatments, and spotting tolerance, loss of control, and DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorder.
Chronology of first use and progressionAssessing quantity, frequency, and routesIdentifying binge and high-risk use patternsScreening for tolerance and withdrawal signsLinking history to DSM-5 SUD criteriaLesson 5Medication, medical comorbidity, and over-the-counter/substance replacement historyThis section reviews gathering histories on medications, co-existing medical conditions, and over-the-counter or substitute substances, noting interactions, liver and heart risks, pain care, and effects on drug treatment plans in Nigerian practice.
Current and past prescribed medicationsMedical comorbidities relevant to addictionOver-the-counter and herbal substance useNicotine, cannabis, and self-directed replacementDrug–drug interactions and safety concernsLesson 6Working with limited collateral and building engagement with marginalized patientsThis section explores ways to manage with scarce collateral info and connect with marginalised patients using motivational talk, harm reduction, trust-building, and handling distrust, stigma, and barriers to keep them coming back for care.
Assessing reliability of self-report dataUsing motivational interviewing micro-skillsHarm reduction framing in early encountersBuilding trust amid stigma and mistrustPlanning follow-up with unstable contactLesson 7Step-by-step addiction-focused interview flow (presenting complaint to collateral history)This section maps out a step-by-step addiction interview from the main complaint and substance history to medical, mental, social, and collateral details, stressing structure, flexibility, and time management in varied Nigerian clinic settings.
Clarifying presenting complaint and goalsSequencing substance, medical, and psych historyIntegrating social, legal, and functional domainsStrategic use of collateral and recordsTime management in brief clinical encountersLesson 8Trauma, intimate partner violence, and safety screening (suicide, homicide, child protection)This section details trauma-aware screening for trauma, partner violence, suicide, homicide, and child abuse, focusing on safety plans, required reporting, records, and working with protection and crisis services in Nigeria.
Principles of trauma-informed questioningScreening for intimate partner and family violenceSuicide and homicide risk assessment stepsIdentifying and reporting child abuse or neglectSafety planning and crisis resource linkageLesson 9Structured opening, consent, and establishing rapport in trauma-exposed populationsThis section covers starting the interview right, getting consent, and building rapport with trauma-affected patients using teamwork, non-judgemental talk, clear limits, and cultural respect to build trust and avoid re-traumatising.
Structuring the opening minutes of the visitExplaining purpose, limits of confidentialityObtaining informed consent for sensitive topicsUsing empathic, nonjudgmental languageCultural humility and managing power dynamics
