Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Project
Degree Name
Master of Social Work
Department
School of Social Work
First Reader/Committee Chair
Loveland, Emily
Abstract
Substance use disorder (SUD) has increasingly affected U.S. veterans, with rising misuse of alcohol and opioids. Many veterans also confront mental health issues, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). To explore this issue further, the researcher will investigate the effectiveness of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) in addressing substance use and mental health disorders (dual diagnosis) among veterans. Previous research on the implementation of SDT for dual-diagnosis patients has not sufficiently addressed the veteran population. The researcher will review existing systematic literature reviews on the topic of SDT implementation in the treatment of SUDs and mental health disorders among both civilian and veteran populations. The focus will be on identifying the key treatment factors implemented, the populations studied, and the emerging main findings. This research aims to gather and report current data, understand the implementation of SDT in patients with a dual diagnosis, and expand research to include populations that have been overlooked, specifically veterans.
Recommended Citation
Tinoc, Carlos A., "UTILIZING SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY IN THERAPY FOR VETERANS WITH SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS" (2026). Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations. 2470.
https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/2470
Included in
Clinical Psychology Commons, Cognitive Psychology Commons, Counseling Psychology Commons, Social Psychology Commons, Social Work Commons