Associations between Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms, Stimulant Use, and Treatment Outcomes: A Secondary Analysis of NIDA's Women and Trauma Study

Background and ObjectivesTo examine the associations between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, stimulant use, and treatment outcomes among dually diagnosed women. MethodsParticipants were 141 women who participated in a multisite clinical trial of group treatments for PTSD and addictions. ResultsGeneralized linear models indicated Seeking Safety (SS; a cognitive-behavioral intervention) was significantly more effective than Women's Health Education (WHE; a control group intervention) in reducing stimulant use at follow-up among women who were heavy stimulant users at pre-treatment and who showed improvements in PTSD symptoms. There were no significant differences between the interventions among women who were light stimulant users at treatment entry. Conclusions and Scientific SignificanceThese findings suggest that integrated treatment of co-occurring PTSD and addictions may be more effective than general health education approaches for heavy stimulant users. Assessment of frequency of stimulant use among individuals with PTSD symptoms may inform treatment selection for this population. (Am J Addict 2014;23:90-95)