The Link Between Substance Abuse and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Women

Najavits, Lisa M.; Weiss, Roger D.; Shaw, R B A Sarah

doi:10.1111/j.1521-0391.1997.tb00408.x

Cited by 254 publications

(263 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Higher rates in females than males of certain co-occurring psychiatric disorders such as mood, eating, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorders may make it difficult to obtain appropriate treatment for both disorders (Brady et al, 1998;Brady and Randall, 1999;Denier et al, 1991;Fornari et al, 1994;Grella, 1996;Merikangas and Steens, 1998;Najavits et al, 1997;Nelson-Zlupko et al, 1995Sonne et al, 2003. Such multiple disorders also may increase the likelihood that women will perceive their problem as specific to the psychiatric disorder and seek treatment in mental health rather than substance abuse settings (Schober and Annis, 1996;Weisner and Schmidt, 1992).…”

Section: Specific Barriers To Treatment Entry For Womenmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Trauma histories, including sexual and physical assault and abuse, may make certain treatment approaches or mixed-gender treatment programs less desirable for women (Copeland, 1997;Grella, 1997;Kilpatrick et al, 1997;1998;Najavits et al, 1997). Women may face lack of family or partner support to enter treatment (Amaro and Hardy-Fanta, 1995;Blum et al, 1998;Grella and Joshi, 1999;Henderson et al, 1994;Woodhouse, 1992) and greater social stigma and discrimination than faced by men (Copeland, 1997;Finkelstein, 1994;Grella and Joshi, 1999;IOM, 1990;Nelson-Zlupko et al, 1995).…”

Section: Specific Barriers To Treatment Entry For Womenmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Substance abuse treatment entry, retention, and outcome in women: A review of the literature

Greenfield

Brooks

Gordon

et al. 2007

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

866

782

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This paper reviews the literature examining characteristics associated with treatment outcome in women with substance use disorders. A search of the English language literature from 1975 to 2005 using Medline and PsycInfo databases found 280 relevant articles. Ninety percent of the studies investigating gender differences in substance abuse treatment outcomes were published since 1990, and of those, over 40% were published since the year 2000. Only 11.8% of these studies were randomized clinical trials. A convergence of evidence suggests that women with substance use disorders are less likely, over the lifetime, to enter treatment compared to their male counterparts. Once in treatment, however, gender is not a significant predictor of treatment retention, completion, or outcome. Gender-specific predictors of outcome do exist, however, and individual characteristics and treatment approaches can differentially affect outcomes by gender. While women-only treatment is not necessarily more effective than mixed-gender treatment, some greater effectiveness has been demonstrated by treatments that address problems more common to substance-abusing women or that are designed for specific subgroups of this population. There is a need to develop and test effective treatments for specific subgroups such as older women with substance use disorders, as well as those with co-occurring substance use and psychiatric disorders such as eating disorders. Future research on effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of gender-specific versus standard treatments, as well as identification of the characteristics of women and men who can benefit from mixed-gender versus single-gender treatments, would advance the field.

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Section: Specific Barriers To Treatment Entry For Womenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Specific Barriers To Treatment Entry For Womenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Substance abuse treatment entry, retention, and outcome in women: A review of the literature

Greenfield

Brooks

Gordon

et al. 2007

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

866

782

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…[2][3][4] In SUD treatment settings, studies reveal rates ranging from 55% to 99% of women reporting at least one lifetime traumatic event (e.g., partner violence, sexual assault, and serious accident). 5,6 Given the prevalence of trauma among women seeking treatment for SUDs, it is not surprising that women have been identified as a group requiring specialized attention for co-occurring SUD and PTSD. 7 Less is published around noninvasive screening questions that could be helpful in detecting the presence of a possible PTSD diagnosis for women who present for treatment and also carry an SUD diagnosis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Health Problems, and Depression Among African American Women in Residential Substance Use Treatment

Meshberg‐Cohen

Presseau

Thacker

et al. 2016

Journal of Women's Health

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Background: Rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are high among women seeking treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs). Minority women, in particular, experience high rates of trauma and may be less likely to disclose trauma history. This article identifies items from pre-existing screening measures that can be used across settings to sensitively but noninvasively identify women with likely PTSD. Method: For a sample of 104 African American women in residential SUD treatment who provided informed consent as a part of a larger randomized clinical trial, the prevalence of trauma and PTSD, as well as the relationships between trauma, health, depression, and distress, was examined. Measures included Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS), Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), Pennebaker Inventory of Limbic Languidness (PILL), and Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Additional analyses were undertaken to determine if a subset of noninvasive items could serve to identify the presence of a probable PTSD diagnosis. Results: Most women (94.2%) reported at least one lifetime trauma, with over half (51.0%) meeting DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. Women with greater trauma symptom severity reported more health problems and higher levels of depression and distress. Five BSI items and one CES-D item were significantly associated with a probable PTSD diagnosis with a sensitivity of 88.7%, a specificity of 66.7%, a positive predictive value of 73.4%, a negative predictive value of 85.0%, and an accuracy of 77.9%. Conclusion: Findings affirm that African American women with SUDs present for residential treatment with comorbid psychiatric and emotional conditions that warrant assessment and treatment. Results highlight potential benefits of brief screening with routine measures and coordinated access to ancillary psychiatric and medical services, in conjunction with substance treatment, such as in residential or primary care.

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“…Thus, the first half of the 24 sessions in this treatment are directly focused on the women's own functioning, addressing topics such as coping with anger, depression, and the constructive use of guilt. Vulnerability factors at the familial level span multiple forms of dysfunctional parenting that many of these women experienced as children, ranging from inadequate nurturance to physical or sexual abuse (El-Bassel, Gilbert, Schilling, & Wada, 2000;Harmer, Sanderson, & Mertin, 1999;Hogan, 1998;Najavits et al, 1997). Obviously, these experiences pose risks for their own parenting.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Relational Psychotherapy Mothers' Group: A randomized clinical trial for substance abusing mothers

Luthar

Suchman

Altomare

2007

Develop. Psychopathol.

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The purpose of this study was to ascertain the effectiveness of the Relational Psychotherapy Mothers' Group (RPMG), a supportive parenting group intervention for substance abusing women. Sixty mothers receiving RPMG were compared to 67 women receiving recovery training (RT); both treatments supplemented treatment in the methadone clinics. At the end of the 6-month treatment period, RPMG mothers showed marginally significant improvement on child maltreatment (selfreported) and cocaine abuse based on urinalyses when compared with RT mothers; notably, children of RPMG mothers reported significantly greater improvement in emotional adjustment and depression than children of RT mothers. At 6 months follow-up, however, treatment gains were no longer apparent. Overall, the findings suggest that whereas supportive parenting interventions for substance abusing women do have some preventive potential, abrupt cessation of the therapeutic program could have deleterious consequences.

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The Link Between Substance Abuse and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Women

Cited by 254 publications

References 34 publications

Substance abuse treatment entry, retention, and outcome in women: A review of the literature

Substance abuse treatment entry, retention, and outcome in women: A review of the literature

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Health Problems, and Depression Among African American Women in Residential Substance Use Treatment

Relational Psychotherapy Mothers' Group: A randomized clinical trial for substance abusing mothers

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