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. 2009 Jan-Feb;18(1):15-20.
doi: 10.1080/10550490802545141.

Treatment challenges associated with comorbid substance use and posttraumatic stress disorder: clinicians' perspectives

Sudie E Back  1 , Angela E Waldrop, Kathleen T Brady
Affiliations

Treatment challenges associated with comorbid substance use and posttraumatic stress disorder: clinicians' perspectives

Sudie E Back et al. Am J Addict. 2009 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

A significant proportion of individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) meet criteria for comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This comorbidity confers a more complicated clinical presentation that carries with it formidable treatment challenges for practitioners. The current study examined sources of difficulty and gratification among clinicians (N = 423) from four national organizations who completed an anonymous questionnaire. As expected, the findings revealed that comorbid SUD/PTSD was rated as significantly more difficult to treat than either disorder alone. The most common challenges associated with treating SUD/PTSD patients included knowing how to best prioritize and integrate treatment components, patient self-destructiveness and severe symptomatology, and helping patients abstain from substance use. The findings increase understanding of SUD/PTSD treatment challenges, and may be useful for enhancing therapist training programs, supervision effectiveness, and designing optimal SUD/PTSD interventions.

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