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Handout for Trauma, The Developing Brain, Healing and Emotional Regulation Seminars Karina A. Forrest-‐Perkins MHR LADC, 2011 Eric Horowitz '07; and Elise Temple, formerly of Cornell and now at Dartmouth College. The research was supported by the College of Human Ecology, the Family Life Development Center and the Laboratory for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience at Cornell, as well as by the National Institute of Mental Health. Reduced PTSD Symptoms Lead to Reduced Substance Abuse, but Not the Other Way Around A new study from researchers at C.C.N.Y. (City College of New York) examined the connection between improvements in posttraumatic stress and improvement in substance abuse over the course of time in 353 women diagnosed with both conditions. Participants were randomly assigned to 12 sessions of either trauma-‐focused treatment or health education. Assessments were made on the PTS and the substance use during treatment at 1 week and posttreatment after 3, 6, and 12 months. Subjects showing no improvement, an improvement in the substance use only, or a total, global improvement early on, tended to maintain their original diagnosis over time; but subjects initially exhibiting improvement in their PTSD symptoms were significantly more likely to transition into a global response over time, indicating that they maintained their PTSD improvement, and that it was associated with subsequent improvements in substance use. Additionally, trauma-‐focused treatment was significantly more effective than the health education method in achieving substance use improvement, but only among those who were heavy substance users at baseline and had achieved significant PTSD reductions. This study concludes that reductions in PTSD severity were more likely to be associated with substance use improvement, but that it did not work the other way around: reductions in substance abuse did not lead to improved PTSD symptoms. These results support the self-‐ medication model of coping with PTSD symptoms, and an empirical basis for integrated interventions for improved substance use outcomes in patients with severe symptoms. Citation: Hien DA, Jiang H, Campbell AN, Hu MC, Miele GM, Cohen LR, Brigham GS, Capstick C, Kulaga A, Robinson J, Suarez-‐Morales L, Nunes EV. Do treatment improvements in PTSD severity affect substance use outcomes? A secondary analysis from a randomized clinical trial in NIDA’s Clinical Trials Network. American Journal of Psychiatry. 2010 Jan; 167(1):95-‐101. Kathleen Young, Psy.D. http://www.leadershipcouncil.org/1/res/brain.html 26
Handout for Trauma, The Developing Brain, Healing and Emotional Regulation Seminars Karina A. Forrest-‐Perkins MHR LADC, 2011 Mission Statement The Leadership Council is a nonprofit independent scientific organization composed of respected scientists, clinicians, educators, legal scholars, journalists, and public policy analysts. Our mission is to promote the ethical application of psychological science to human welfare. We are committed to providing professionals and laypersons with accurate, research-‐based information about a variety of mental health issues and to preserving society's commitment to protect its most vulnerable members. Goals • To develop a coalition among professionals within the scientific community, the legal system, the political system and the media to provide professionals and laypersons with accurate information about mental health practice and research which helps insure access to the highest quality of care. • To promote healing for trauma victims and their families. • To promote and disseminate high quality scientific and medical research concerning the prevalence and consequences of child abuse and other forms of interpersonal violence in the general population. • To promote public awareness of effective treatment for the psychological and physiological after-‐effects of interpersonal violence and other traumatic experiences in children and adults. • To provide officers of the court, the media, and public policy-‐makers with the latest scientific information on issues which may affect the public health and the safety of society's most vulnerable members, including children and those suffering from mental disorders. • To correct misinformation on psychological science used to serve vested interests or used as evidence in important cases affecting legal rights related to mental health issues. • To improve coordination among professionals, develop guidelines, encourage research, further interdisciplinary professional education, and provide guidance, support, and encouragement for professionals in the field of traumatic studies. (Basic Handout to use in your organization) What Is Traumatic Stress? Traumatic stress Traumatic events are shocking and emotionally overwhelming situations. It is natural for people who experience or witness them to have many reactions. Some of these are intense fear, horror, numbness, or helplessness. These events might involve actual or threatened death, 27
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