The relationship between anxiety levels and outcome of cocaine abuse treatment

Although a number of studies have examined the comorbidity of anxiety disor ders and substance use disorders, much less is known about the impact of an xiety symptoms on substance use and on substance abuse treatment outcome, I n the current study, we examined how self-reported anxiety levels, as measu red by the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, were related to cocai ne use variables and patterns following substance abuse treatment. There we re 108 patients in substance abuse treatment who met DSM-III-R diagnostic c riteria for cocaine abuse or dependence who completed an assessment battery at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up. State anxiety score s significantly declined from pre- to posttreatment and remained stable int o the 3-month follow-up period regardless of relapse status. Trait anxiety was correlated positively with negative consequences due to cocaine use and negatively correlated with days in treatment. Start and trait anxiety both ware correlated positively with the Alcohol Composite Index of the Addicti on Severity Index (ASI). These findings suggest that elevated anxiety score s at pretreatment subside with lime, do not require clinical management of associated anxiety symptoms, and may be a temporary by-product of experienc ing negative consequences due to recent cocaine use.