Seeking safety therapy for co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder: A case study in Iran

Background: Literature documents the high prevalence of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (OTSD) in individuals with substance use disorders, which complicate the clinical profile of patients and present challenges for treatment providers. Although several evidence-based integrated therapies are developed for comorbid PTSD/SUD (substance use disorder), there is a considerable gap addressing this co-occurrence and none of such practices are studied yet on such patients. Through A-B-A single subject design. Objectives: The current study aimed to explore the effectiveness of seeking safety (SS), an integrative evidence-based therapy for PTSD/SUD, to reduce PTSD and SUD symptoms in a 32-year-old female with both disorders. Patients and Methods: Measures of PTSD checklist (PTSD ChecklistCivilian; PCL-C), Addiction Severity Index (ASI), Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS-21) were completed by the participant at baseline, intervention, and 2-month follow-up. Results: Results were analyzed through visual analysis and computing 3 effect size indices including standardized mean difference (SMD), mean baseline reduction (MBLR), and percent of non-overlapping data (PND). Conclusions: Clinically significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, psychological distress, and ASI scores, as well as improvement in coping skills were observed at intervention phase and maintained at 2-month follow-up, which indicated that the participant benefited from SS. © 2018, International Journal of High Risk Behaviors and Addiction

Evaluation of an evidence-based practice training for peer support workers in behavioral health care

Service provision by peer support workers (PSWs) is growing within the US behavioral health care system and research is needed to determine appropriate training and support. This study examined responses of 15 PSWs and 20 licensed behavioral health practitioners (BHPs) who participated in a one-day training of seeking safety (SS). PSWs and BHPs provided post-training feedback on satisfaction with the training and their perceived comfort level in implementing SS. Overall, PSWs and BHPs reported high satisfaction and comfort, and except for one significant difference, PSWs benefited from the training to the same extent as BHPs. Compared to BHPs, PSWs reported significantly greater improvement in their counseling ability within the SS model as a result of the training. Considering the varying levels of education and training within the field of PSWs, our results suggest that a “one-size fits all” approach to professional training may be acceptable; however, further research is warranted

Seeking safety: Handboek behandeling Trauma en Verslaving [boek en cd-rom]

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Screening of current post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with substance use disorder using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21): A reliable and convenient measure

Item does not contain fulltextBackground: Several instruments have been developed and validated as screens for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in substance use disorder (SUD) patients. Unfortunately, many of these instruments have one or several disadvantages (e.g. low specificity, low sensitivity or high costs). No research has been conducted on instruments that screen simultaneously for other psychiatric disorders, which would be a potentially time-saving and cost-effective approach. In the current study we tested the psychometric properties of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) as a screen for PTSD. Methods: The DASS was assessed in an inpatient facility during intake with 58 patients and again 4 weeks after admission. Another 138 patients were assessed 4 weeks after admission only. The results were compared to the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) that was also administered after 4 weeks of abstinence. Results: ROC curve analyses showed an area under the curve of 0.84 for the DASS at intake and 0.78 for the DASS after 4 weeks' abstinence. Conclusion: The DASS is therefore a reliable and convenient measure to use as a screen for PTSD in SUD patients.7 p