Effects of Integrated Trauma Treatment on Outcomes in a Racially/Ethnically Diverse Sample of Women in Urban Community-based Substance Abuse Treatment

Abstract

This study presents findings from a quasiexperimental, nonequivalent, group-design study with repeated measures that explored the effects of integrated trauma-informed services on the severity of substance abuse, mental health, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology among women with histories of trauma in urban, community-based substance abuse treatment. The study also explored if the model of integrated services was equally beneficial for women of various racial/ethnic groups. Participants in the study were 342 women receiving substance abuse treatment in intervention and comparison sites. Results indicated that at 6 and 12 month follow-ups, those in the trauma-informed intervention group, in contrast to the comparison group, had significantly better outcomes in drug abstinence rates in the past 30 days as well as in mental health and PTSD symptomatology. Results also showed that, overall, integrated services were beneficial for women across the different racial/ethnic groups in substance abuse treatment, although some differences appear to exist across racial/ethnic groups in improving addiction severity and mental health and PTSD symptomatology.

Does integrated trauma‐informed substance abuse treatment increase treatment retention?

“…Substance abuse and mental health symptoms improve with increased time in treatment in interaction with more severe baseline symptoms. These findings lend support to a growing consensus that for persons with co-occurring disorders, an integrated treatment approach is the most appropriatẽ Amaro et al, 2007a;Amaro et al, 2007b;Barrowclough, et al, 2001;Cocozza et al, 2005;Hellerstein et al, 2001;Morrissey, Jackson et al, 2005;Ouimette et al, 1998;RachBeisel et al, 1999;Ziedonis & Stern, 2001!. …”

Experiences of Traumatic Events and Associations with PTSD and Depression Development in Urban Health Care-seeking Women

“…General interventions for PTSD in primary care settings include medication, short-term psychotherapy, and referral to psychiatric clinics, 52,53 yet urban women may have unique needs. Social support, 54 spiritual well-being, 55 and integrated treatment for alcohol and drug abuse 56,57 have been identified as needs of traumatized urban women. Integrating these or other unique needs may improve treatment of PTSD in urban women.…”

Effects of trauma intervention on HIV sexual risk behaviors among women with co‐occurring disorders in substance abuse treatment

“…Recent findings from the multisite Women, Co-Occurring Disorders and Violence Study~WCDVS!, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration~SAMHSA!, have demonstrated that integrated services for women with co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders and a history of trauma increase treatment retention~Amaro, Chernoff, Brown, Arévalo, &Gatz, 2007! andimprove treatment outcomes~Amaro, Dai, Arévalo, Acevedo, Matsumoto, &Nieves, 2007;Cocozza et al, 2005;Finkelstein, Mazelis, Brown, Jackson, & Banks, 2005;Morrissey, Jackson, et al, 2005!. A remaining question is whether integrated services that include trauma treatment are also effective in reducing sexual risk behaviors in this population of women.…”