Substance abuse patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Identifying specific triggers of substance use and their associations with PTSD symptoms.

Abstract

A populationbased study of help seeking and self-medication among trauma-exposed individuals.

An acute post-sexual assault intervention to prevent drug abuse: Updated findings

“…Theoretically, the video content addressing preparation for the medical exam and that addressing psychological reactions could both reduce acute and/or longer term anxiety or other distress and might be expected to reduce risk of substance use or abuse via the tension reduction or self-medication hypothesis. The conceptualization of post-victimization substance use as a negatively reinforced coping response (Stewart, 1997) is consistent with findings across multiple studies (Coffey et al, 2002;Miranda et al, 2002;Saladin et al, 2003;Sharkansky et al, 1999; finding increased drinking and drug use behavior associated with exposure to anxiety-provoking situations or cues. Alternatively, those exposed to the psychoeducation content received specific information and modeling of behaviors that more directly addressed substance use and abuse behaviors.…”

Can emotion-focused coping help explain the link between posttraumatic stress disorder severity and triggers for substance use in young adults?

“…Indeed, using the Inventory of Drug-Taking Situations (IDTS)/Inventory of Drinking Situations (Annis, Graham, & Davis, 1987;Annis & Martin, 1985), which is based on Marlatt's (1980) classification of high-risk triggers for relapse, adults with SUD-PTSD reported using substances more frequently in response to negative situations (unpleasant emotions, physical discomfort, and conflict with others) than adults with SUD alone (Sharkansky, Brief, Peirce, Meehan, & Mannix, 1999;Stewart, Conrod, Samoluk, Pihl, & Dongier, 2000;Waldrop et al, 2007). These findings are consistent with the notion that individuals with comorbid SUD-PTSD may be more likely to engage in substance use to cope with intense negative emotional states (i.e., selfmedication hypothesis; Giaconia et al, 2003).…”

The Comorbidity of Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Substance Use Disorders

“…The susceptibility hypothesis posits a biological vulnerability to developing PTSD among individuals with SUDs. Individuals who engage in chronic substance use often experience anxiety and arousal and exhibit poor coping skills (e.g., more avoidant or emotion-focused coping vs. problem-focused coping) (Sharkansky et al 1999;Stewart et al 2000;Jacobsen et al 2001;Staiger et al 2009). Lastly, there is some evidence that other common factors, such as genetics, common neurophysiologic systems, described below, and prior exposure to traumatic events, may play a role in the etiology of comorbid PTSD/SUD (Stewart and Conrod 2008;Kingston and Raghavan 2009;Khoury et al 2010;Norman et al 2012).…”