Citation

Back SE, Waldrop AE, Brady KT. Am. J. Addict. 2009; 18(1): 15-20.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA. backs@musc.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1080/10550490802545141

PMID

19219661

PMCID

PMC2845168

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.

Language: en