Women's Treatment for Trauma and Substance Use Disorders
Denise Hien, Ph.D. Lead Investigator Women's Health Project Saint Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center 411 W. 114th St., #3B New York, NY 10025 dah26@columbia.edu

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common among drug users, particularly among women. Those who suffer from both of these conditions also struggle more with both conditions and have a more difficult time meeting their treatment goals. Estimates also suggest that as many as 80% of women seeking treatment for drug abuse report lifetime histories of sexual and/or physical assault. These facts highlight the importance of finding effective treatments for this high-risk population. Early studies show Seeking Safety, a substance abuse treatment designed specifically for women with trauma, is an option with great potential for this population. This study compares the effectiveness of two manualized interventions for women when added to treatment as usual: Seeking Safety, and Women’s Health Education, a psychoeducational program focused on health topics of special relevance for women.

Primary Findings: Primary outcomes showed large, clinically relevant reductions in PTSD symptoms, but no reliable difference between conditions. Substance use outcomes were also not significantly different over time between the two treatments and at follow-up showed no significant change from baseline. Study results do not favor Seeking Safety over WHE as an adjunct to substance use disorder treatment for women with PTSD. Source: Hien D, et al. Multisite Randomized Trial of Behavioral Interventions for Women with Co-Occurring PTSD and Substance Use Disorders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2009;77(4):607-619. [get article]

  RELATED STUDIES

• CTN-0015-A-1: Survey of Eating Disorder Symptoms among Women in Treatment for Substance Abuse Disorders

	Find publications in the Library about Protocol CTN-0015
	Researchers: Data from this protocol is freely available from the CTN Data Share website.