Stuck in a moment in time: Brief interventions for comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders

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Glenys Dore, Katherine Mills and Philippa Ewer

Northern Sydney Drug and Alcohol Service, Australia
University of Sydney, Australia
University of New South Wales, Australia

: Int J Ment Health Psychiatry

Abstract

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Trauma exposure and PTSD are common among patients of mental health services. Existing treatments for these co-occurring conditions tend to be lengthy, treatment retention is relatively poor, and they require extensive training and clinical supervision. This paper presents the findings of a pilot study conducted to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a brief intervention for PTSD symptoms for individuals with co-existing substance use disorders. The brief intervention consisted of a single, one-hour manualised session providing psycho-education pertaining to common trauma reactions and symptom management. Participants expressed high levels of satisfaction with the intervention. PTSD symptom severity decreased significantly from baseline to 1-week follow-up and again between the 1-week and 3-month follow-ups. The brief intervention may best be conceptualized as a “Stepping Stone” to further trauma treatment, allowing patients to experience increased understanding of their psychological reactions to trauma as well as a reduction in the severity of their symptoms.

Biography

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Glenys Dore is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Director for the Northern Sydney Drug and Alcohol Service, and a Clinical Associate Professor for the University of Sydney Northern Clinical School. For over 20 years her clinical work, teaching and research have focused on the assessment and management of patients with comorbidity (co-existing substance use and mental health disorders). In recent years, her clinical team has worked with researchers from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre in Sydney to explore effective treatments for patients with co-existing post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorders.

Email: gmdore@aapt.net.au