Effective treatments for PTSD in women with SUD.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common co-morbidity in the substance use disorder (SUD) population. It is estimated that 80% of women in treatment for SUD have suffered physical, emotional, or sexual trauma, and that they present special needs that affect their success in achieving the goals of addictions treatment.

Protocol CTN-0015 compared a trauma-directed behavioral therapy, Seeking Safety (SS), to a more general behavioral intervention, Women’s Health Education. Both treatments reduced PTSD symptoms and drug use; however, secondary analyses are beginning to reveal differences among subtypes of participants in the effectiveness of the two approaches, which have significant clinical implications. This presentation features a comprehensive overview to the best approaches for treating women with co-occurring PTSD and SUD.

Related protocols: CTN-0015