Treatment of co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use: Does order of onset influence outcomes?

Kaitlin E. Bountress, Christal Badour, Julianne Flanagan, Amanda K. Gilmore, Sudie E. Back

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUDs) represent major public health concerns, particularly among veterans. They are associated with significant distress and impairment, and are highly comorbid. Little is known, however, about what role the temporal order of diagnostic onset may play in severity of presenting symptomatology and treatment outcomes. The aim of this study, therefore, was to examine treatment outcomes by order of onset. Method: Participants were 46 U.S. military veterans (91.3% male) enrolled in a larger randomized controlled trial examining the efficacy of an integrated, exposure-based treatment (Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders Using Prolonged Exposure; COPE). Participants were grouped into 2 categories: (a) primary PTSD (i.e., PTSD developed before the onset of SUD) or (b) primary SUD (i.e., SUD developed before the onset of PTSD). Results: No significant associations between order of onset and baseline symptomatology were observed. The findings revealed that participants with primary PTSD were significantly more likely than participants with primary SUD to report higher levels of PTSD symptoms at the end of treatment. However, there was no effect of order of onset on SUD outcomes. Conclusions: The findings suggest that individuals with earlier PTSD onset are a particularly high-risk group in terms of their trauma-related symptoms. Implications for treatment of comorbid PTSD/SUD are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)662-665
Number of pages4
JournalPsychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy
Volume10
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2018

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 American Psychological Association.

Funding

This study was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grants R01DA0314, T32MH18869, K23AA023845, and K12 DA14040. These views do not necessarily reflect those of NIH. There are no conflicts of interest.

FundersFunder number
National Institutes of Health (NIH)K12 DA14040, T32MH18869, R01DA0314
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and AlcoholismK23AA023845

    Keywords

    • Order of onset
    • PTSD/SUD comorbidity
    • Prolonged exposure
    • Relapse prevention
    • Veterans

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Social Psychology
    • Clinical Psychology

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Treatment of co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use: Does order of onset influence outcomes?'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this