title: Assessing traumatic experiences in screening for PTSD in substance use disorder patients: what is the gain in addition to PTSD symptoms?
abstract: Traumatic experiences have been linked with substance use disorders (SUD) and may be an important factor in the perpetuation of SUD, even in the absence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between childhood trauma and substance use severity in 192 SUD inpatients. Childhood trauma was assessed using the Traumatic Experiences Checklist (TEC). With variables derived from this measure in addition to PTSD symptoms, two regression models were created with alcohol use or drug use severity as dependent variables. Alcohol severity was explained by PTSD symptoms as well as the age of trauma. Drug severity was explained solely by PTSD symptoms. The clinical value of assessing childhood trauma in determining the addiction severity appears to be limited in comparison with PTSD symptoms.
authors: Tactus Addiction Treatment, P.O. box 154, 7400 AD Deventer, The Netherlands; Nijmegen Institute for Scientist Practitioners in Addiction, P.O. box 6909, 6503 GK Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: t.kok@tactus.nl.
authors: Tim
authors: T
authors: Kok
authors: Tactus Addiction Treatment, P.O. box 154, 7400 AD Deventer, The Netherlands; Nijmegen Institute for Scientist Practitioners in Addiction, P.O. box 6909, 6503 GK Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: h.dehaan@tactus.nl.
authors: Hein
authors: H
authors: de Haan
authors: Verslavingszorg Noord Nederland, P.O. box 1024, 9701 BA Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors: Margreet
authors: M
authors: van der Meer
authors: Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System and Boston University School of Medicine, 150 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130, USA.
authors: Lisa
authors: L
authors: Najavits
authors: Nijmegen Institute for Scientist Practitioners in Addiction, P.O. box 6909, 6503 GK Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Cor
authors: C
authors: de Jong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices
keywords: Assessment; Child abuse; Childhood trauma; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Substance use disorder