Dr Lexine Stapinski

Anxiety and alcohol use disorders commonly co-occur, and when they do, symptoms are typically more severe, and less responsive to standard treatment approaches. If left untreated, anxiety and alcohol use can fuel each other in a cyclical relationship whereby each serves to maintain and exacerbate the other. This presentation will provide an overview of current evidence on the relationship between anxiety and alcohol use disorders, and psychological management of these co-occurring disorders, including new web-based tools that can be used to support clinical practice. 

Associate Professor Lexine Stapinski is a Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor at the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney. Her research focuses on understanding the relationship between anxiety and substance use, and developing improved strategies for the prevention and treatment of these problems.