The role of alcohol misuse in PTSD outcomes for women in community treatment: A secondary analysis of NIDA's Women and Trauma Study

BackgroundIndividuals with comorbid substance use and posttraumatic stress disorder may differentially benefit from integrated trauma-focused interventions based on specific presenting characteristics such as substance use type and PTSD severity. The current study is a secondary analysis of a NIDA Clinical Trials Network study exploring the effectiveness of two interventions for women with comorbid PTSD and substance use disorders.MethodGeneralized estimating equations were used to examine the association of baseline alcohol misuse with PTSD outcome measures over time for all randomized participants.ResultsWomen entering treatment with baseline alcohol misuse had higher Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale (PSS-SR) total scores (t = 2.43, p < .05), cluster C (avoidance/numbing) scores (t = 2.63, p < .01), and cluster D (hyper-arousal) scores (t = 2.31, p < .05). For women with alcohol misuse, after treatment week 1, PSS-SR scores were significantly lower in the Seeking Safety intervention during treatment (χ2(1) = 4.00, p < .05) and follow-up (χ2(1) = 4.87, p < .05) compared to those in the health education intervention. Alcohol misusers in the Seeking Safety group who had higher baseline hyper-arousal severity improved more quickly than those with lower baseline hyper-arousal severity during treatment (χ2(1) = 4.06, p < .05).ConclusionsThese findings suggest that the type of substance abuse at treatment entry may inform treatment selection, predict treatment response among those with co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorders, and indicate a more severe clinical picture.