title: Stability of trauma-related symptoms during acute substance use treatment.
abstract: It is unclear whether post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and reports of traumatic childhood experiences decline during substance withdrawal. A convenience sample of 34 inpatients of the Psychiatric University Clinics in Basel was recruited and general psychopathological and trauma-related symptoms were assessed with the Brief Symptom Checklist, Post-Traumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire in the 1st and 3rd week of substance use treatment. The average age of the sample was 41.9 (SD = 9.1) years, and 26.5% were female. Hyperarousal (Mt1 = 4.51 versus Mt2 = 3.61; z = -2.38, p = .017) and avoidance symptoms (Mt1 = 6.24 versus Mt2 = 4.27; z = -2.59, p = .010) declined significantly, but re-experiencing symptoms (Mt1 = 4.00 versus Mt2 = 3.45; z = -.50, p = .617) did not. Post-traumatic stress disorder assessment, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-4th edition criteria, remained constant for 28 of 34 patients. Likewise, self-reported childhood trauma experiences decreased, yet the number of elevated subscale scores remained stable. Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms are not adequately treated by substance withdrawal alone. Trauma-specific diagnostics can be initiated with sufficient quality as early as the first week of withdrawal treatment.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Konstanz , Konstanz , Germany.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Herzog
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Konstanz , Konstanz , Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Odenwald
authors.affiliation: b Psychiatric University Hospital Basel , Basel , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Margit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Proescholdt
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Konstanz , Konstanz , Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haubold
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Konstanz , Konstanz , Germany.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bohnacker
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Konstanz , Konstanz , Germany.
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flögel
authors.affiliation: c Psychiatric Services Aargau , Brugg , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linde
authors.affiliation: b Psychiatric University Hospital Basel , Basel , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: b Psychiatric University Hospital Basel , Basel , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wiesbeck
authors.affiliation: b Psychiatric University Hospital Basel , Basel , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Undine
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.affiliation: b Psychiatric University Hospital Basel , Basel , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.affiliation: b Psychiatric University Hospital Basel , Basel , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vogel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D057189:Checklist; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011599:Psychopathology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: PTSD; Trauma; addiction; alcohol; psychopathology; withdrawal