Comorbid Alcohol Disorder Intensifies Patterns of Psychological Symptoms Among Women

• Secondary analysis of women in residential substance treatment center.
• Examined psychological symptoms among abusers of both drugs and alcohol.
• Emphasizes need for screening and extra support for dually diagnosed women.

This secondary analysis describes the additional psychological symptoms experienced by women in substance abuse treatment who have an alcohol use disorder (AUD) in addition to a drug use disorder (DUD). Results show high levels of certain patterns of psychological symptoms, which include Paranoid Ideation, Phobic Anxiety, Anxiety, and Psychoticism, on the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) subscales. Also, age had an adverse effect, with Depression and Psychoticism scores higher with increasing age. Nurse practitioners are ideally situated to assess and screen for patterns of co-occurring psychological symptoms in women with an AUD, which can complicate treatment and lead to practice implications.