COMORBID SUBSTANCE-ABUSE AND POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER - CHARACTERISTICS OF WOMEN IN TREATMENT

To further explore the complex relationship between posttraumatic stre ss disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders, the authors compared 3 0 women with PTSD in substance abuse treatment with 25 women without P TSD in substance abuse treatment on degree of addiction severity, psyc hopathology, and after care compliance. Women with PTSD were more like ly to have been victims of sexual and physical abuse, particularly chi ldhood abuse. They had significantly higher scores on the Addiction Se verity Index, were more likely to have comorbid affective disorder, an d less likely to comply with aftercare. These results suggest that scr eening for victimization and PTSD among women presenting for substance abuse treatment may have important prognostic and treatment implicati ons.