Comorbid Substance Dependence and Posstraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in a Brazilian Sample

Abstract

Objective:

The present study investigated the demographic characteristics of a sample with posstraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that seeking treatment for alcohol and others drugs dependence.

Methods:

Forty drug-addicted men participated of this study. All the subjects were psychiatric outpatients of IPPAD, Porto Alegre, Brazil. They were invited to play a part in a research. They completed the following instruments: Specific Traumatic Events Scale, Davidson Trauma Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Sociodemographic characteristics. The Sociodemographic instrument had questions about the justice involvement. The measures were a self-report. SPSS 12.5 was used by the statistical analyses. Descriptive statistics include frequency, percents and means. Significance of 5%.

Results:

Twelve patients had PTSD. Aged 25 to 60 years; low income; 41,7% were married. About sixty seven per cent had some member on family with alcohol or other substance abused. The half patients (n=10) are used various psychoactive substances. 16,7% used alcohol only. The drugs more used were: alcohol (91,7%); tobacco (75,0%); cocaine (58,3%); marihuana (58,3%); Don't have related about the use of ecstasy and inhalants. The half of the sample related that was arrested due to drugs use.

Conclusions:

The literature shows that patients with Posstraumatic Stress Disorder have more drug use, interpersonal difficulties, legal problems, more relapses or worse prognostic when compared without PTSD. It's very important to determine the psychosocial characteristics of patients seeking treatment to ascertain if these characteristics reflect a group at risk for premature termination therapy.