Substance use disorder (SUD) is often comorbid with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this lecture, we will discuss why these two disorders often co-occur and how those who have both differ from those who have either SUD or PTSD in terms of their physical and mental health and treatment outcomes. We will review research on how to effectively treat those who have both SUD and PTSD. The majority of this part of the lecture will be on clinical strategies to use when treating clients who have SUD and PTSD, including treatment planning, engagement strategies, and monitoring outcomes. Free web-based consumer-oriented and clinician resources for treating PTSD and PTSD co-occurring with SUD developed by the National Center for PTSD will be shared. This lecture is intended for clinicians who treat SUD who want to learn more about how PTSD interacts with SUD and best practices for treating patients with both.

Learning objectives:

1. Participants will be able to describe physical health and functional problems associated with having both substance use disorder and PTSD.
2. Participants will be able to name at least three effective treatments for PTSD.
3. Participants will be able to describe at least three clinical considerations when creating a treatment plan for patients with substance use disorder and PTSD.

Presented by Sonya Norman, PhD