Substance use, post-traumatic stress disorder and violence

Abstract

Purpose of review: The present review focuses on the co-occurrence of substance use disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, with special attention to measurement and the role of violence as a contributor to the comorbidity.

Recent findings: Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in the presence or absence of a post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis are comorbid with several substance use dependencies and with a range of severity of substance use.

Summary: Lack of consistency in terms of substance use classification and measurement of post-traumatic stress disorder across studies continues to hinder comparisons of rates of comorbid substance use disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. More attention to the role of violence as a contributor to the comorbidity and its impact on treatment outcomes is warranted.