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Pharmacological treatment of comorbid PTSD and substance use disorder: recent progress.

ABSTRACT: Previous research has identified a strong association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD), necessitating the development of treatments that address both conditions. Some pharmacotherapies are effective for the treatment of PTSD and SUD alone, however; no medications have been proven to be effective for the combination of these conditions. We review the recent advances in pharmacological treatment of comorbid PTSD and SUD. A randomized clinical trial of sertraline, a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), did not show overall efficacy for comorbid PTSD and alcohol dependence (AD), although it may have efficacy among light drinkers. Another clinical trial demonstrated the efficacy of both disulfiram and naltrexone for the treatment of AD in individuals with PTSD. A more recent clinical trial suggested that norepinephrine uptake inhibitors may also have efficacy for the treatment of comorbid PTSD and AD. In animal and preliminary human studies, brain norepinephrine and glutamate/GABA have emerged as potential treatment targets for comorbid PTSD and SUD. Noradrenergic medications that are promising for comorbid PTSD and SUD include prazosin, guanfacine, and atomoxetine. Promising glutamate/GABA medications include topiramate, memantine, acamprosate, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), and ketamine. The safety and efficacy of these medications for the treatment of PTSD and SUD need to be tested in controlled clinical trials.

SUBMITTER: Sofuoglu M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3855907 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Pharmacological treatment of comorbid PTSD and substance use disorder: recent progress.

Sofuoglu Mehmet M Rosenheck Robert R Petrakis Ismene I

Addictive behaviors 20130822 2

Previous research has identified a strong association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD), necessitating the development of treatments that address both conditions. Some pharmacotherapies are effective for the treatment of PTSD and SUD alone, however; no medications have been proven to be effective for the combination of these conditions. We review the recent advances in pharmacological treatment of comorbid PTSD and SUD. A randomized clinical trial of s ...[more]

PMID: 24035645

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Project description:ObjectiveClinical practice guidelines recommend concurrent treatment of co-occurring depression and substance use disorders; however, the degree to which patients with substance use disorders receive guideline-concordant treatment for depression is unknown. The authors investigated the provision of guideline-concordant depression treatment to patients with and without substance use disorders in a large integrated health care system.MethodsIn a retrospective cohort study of 53,034 patients diagnosed with a depressive disorder in fiscal year 2017 in the U.S. Veterans Health Administration, the authors assessed the association of comorbid substance use disorders with guideline-concordant depression treatment, including both medication and psychotherapy, while adjusting for patient demographic and clinical characteristics.ResultsGuideline-concordant depression treatment was lower across metrics for patients with co-occurring depression and substance use disorders compared to those without substance use disorders. Consistent findings emerged in covariate-adjusted models of antidepressant treatment, such that patients with substance use disorders had 21% lower odds of guideline-concordant acute treatment (adjusted odds ratio=0.79, 95% CI=0.73, 0.84) and 26% lower odds of continuation of treatment (adjusted odds ratio=0.74, 95% CI=0.69, 0.79). With regard to psychotherapy, patients with co-occurring depression and substance use disorders had 13% lower odds (adjusted odds ratio=0.87, 95% CI=0.82, 0.91) of adequate acute-phase treatment and 19% lower odds (adjusted odds ratio=0.81; 95% CI=0.73, 0.89) of psychotherapy continuation.ConclusionsDespite the availability of effective treatments for depression, patients with co-occurring substance use disorders are less likely to receive guideline-concordant depression treatment. Efforts to improve the provision of care to those with co-occurring substance use disorders should focus on clinician-based interventions and use of integrated care models to improve the quality of depression treatment.

Project description:Objective: Many women receiving substance use treatment report histories of interpersonal violence (IV) victimization, including physical and sexual assault. IV is a risk factor for mental and behavioral health difficulties such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD). Consistent with the self-medication hypothesis, PTSD may explain elevated SUD among IV survivors. Yet, few studies have investigated whether PTSD may have differential mediating effects for different substances, which has significant treatment implications. Methods: In 124 women (M age = 35.37, SD = 11.90) in substance use treatment, we examined PTSD symptoms as a mediator between IV and severity of different types of substance use, including alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, and opioid use. Participants completed self-report measures including the ASSIST, PCL-5, and LEC-5. Data were analyzed using path analysis in Mplus 8.3. Both dichotomous and continuous outcomes of problematic substance use outcomes were examined. Results: Most women (53.3%) reported problematic substance use with at least one substance, including opioids (39.7%), cocaine (13.0%), alcohol (9.6%), and cannabis (5.6%). Most (83.2%) of the sample reported at least one IV incident. On average, women reported clinically significant PTSD symptom severity. When problematic substance use was examined dichotomously, findings revealed significant indirect effects from IV exposure to opioid (β = 0.10, p = .010) and cocaine use (β = 0.07, p = .039) via elevated PTSD symptoms. There were no significant indirect effects for problematic alcohol (β = 0.03, p = .260) or cannabis use (β = 0.02, p = .562). When substance use was examined continuously, results revealed significant indirect effects from IV exposure to opioid (β = 0.09, p = .017), cocaine use (β = 0.09, p = .015), and alcohol use (β = 0.08, p = .020) via elevated PTSD symptoms. Indirect effects for cannabis use remained nonsignificant (β = 0.05, p = .100). Conclusions: IV survivors may be particularly at risk for opioid and cocaine misuse because of elevated PTSD symptoms. Treatments that integrate PTSD and SUD are needed to simultaneously target traumatic stress and substance use. Women with opioid and cocaine misuse may particularly benefit from trauma-focused exposure-based psychotherapy to reduce symptoms of PTSD, and thus, decrease opioid and cocaine misuse.

Dataset Information

Pharmacological treatment of comorbid PTSD and substance use disorder: recent progress.

Publications

Pharmacological treatment of comorbid PTSD and substance use disorder: recent progress.

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