BACKGROUND This randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigated the effectiveness of a combined treatment for co-morbid Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and severe Substance Use Disorder (SUD). METHODS Structured Writing Therapy for PTSD (SWT), an evidence-based traumafocused intervention, was added on to Treatment As Usual (TAU), consisting of an intensive cognitive behavioral inpatient o...

This study attempts to validate substance use disorder (SUD) treatment performance measures (PM) in a naturalistic treatment setting. Despite its significance in healthcare systems and in SUD populations, suicidality is one patient characteristic that remains unexplored in the context of SUD PMs. The current study focused on the extent to which the care processes encouraged by SUD PMs were asso...

OBJECTIVE WE CONDUCTED A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION: Among youth ≤18 years of age with a mental disorder, does substance use prevention compared to no prevention result in reduced rates of substance use/abuse/disorder (SUD)? The review was requested by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care through the Canadian Institutes for Health Research Evidence on Tap program. M...

BACKGROUND Predominant polarity characterises patients who mainly manifest recurrences of depression or mania/hypomania. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and polysubstance use (PSU), which often complicate bipolar disorder (BD) and affect its clinical course, can influence predominant polarity. Nevertheless, previous studies have not clarified if BD patients differ in predominant polarity from BD pat...

This study was a nationwide survey of 205 Veterans Affairs (VA) staff on their views of 11 psychotherapy models for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorder (SUD), or comorbid PTSD/ SUD. For each model, staff rated four key areas: level of implementation, helpfulness overall, helpfulness for PTSD/SUD, and desire for training on it. They also provided quantitative and qualita...

BACKGROUND Quality of life (QoL) is increasingly recognized as central to the broad construct of recovery in patients with substance use disorders (SUD). However, few longitudinal studies have evaluated changes in QoL after SUD treatment and included patients with SUD that were compulsorily hospitalized. This study aimed to describe QoL among in-patients admitted either voluntarily or compulsor...

Neurological and psychiatric symptoms are consequences of substance abuse in schizophrenia and non-schizophrenia patients. The present case-control study examined changes in substance abuse/dependence, and neurological and psychiatric symptoms in substance abusers with [dual diagnosis (DD) group, n = 26] and without schizophrenia [substance use disorder (SUD) group, n = 24] and in non-abusing s...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Substance use disorder (SUD) has increased among women, including military veterans, yet SUD treatment was historically designed for males. This randomized controlled trial compared 12 individual sessions of a gender-focused SUD recovery model, A Woman's Path to Recovery (WPR) to an evidence-based, non-gender-focused SUD model, 12-Step Facilitation (TSF) for 66 women v...

BACKGROUND Millions of people who need treatment for substance use disorders (SUD) do not receive it. Evidence-based practices for treating SUD exist, and some are appropriate for delivery outside of specialty care settings. Primary care is an opportune setting in which to deliver SUD treatment because many individuals see their primary care providers at least once a year. Further, the Patient ...

BACKGROUND A substantial number of patients in general hospitals will evince substance abuse problems but a majority is unlikely to be adequately identified in the referral-consultation process. This failure may preclude patients from receiving effective interventions for substance use disorders. OBJECTIVES 1. To evaluate all referred patients for possible substance use disorders. 2. To ascer...