ArticlePsychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors2018
Alcohol, cannabis, and other drug use: Engagement and outcome in PTSD treatment.
Article in Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 47 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cannabis use and trauma-focused treatment for co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorders: A meta-analysis of individual patient data.Journal of anxiety disorders · 2024Pooled it
- The association between recreational cannabis use and posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and methodological critique of the literature.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2022Pooled it
- Risk and Protective Factors for PTSD in Caregivers of Adult Patients with Severe Medical Illnesses: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Pooled it
- Use of Medicinal Cannabis and Synthetic Cannabinoids in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Systematic Review.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2019Pooled it
- Pragmatic Comparative Effectiveness of Primary Care Treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA psychiatry · 2025Trial
- A pilot randomized controlled trial of cognitive restructuring for PTSD and alcohol misuse following recent sexual assault: Initial efficacy and feasibility.Behaviour research and therapy · 2025Trial
- Substance use predictors of attendance among veterans in integrated PTSD and alcohol use disorder treatment.Journal of substance abuse treatment · 2021Trial
- Impact of self-reported cannabis use on veterans' intensive PTSD treatment outcomes.Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy · 2026Article
- Understanding the Role of Endocannabinoids in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- A national study of clinical discussions about cannabis use among Veteran patients prescribed opioids.Journal of cannabis research · 2024Article
- Perspectives on the therapeutic potential of MDMA: A nation-wide exploratory survey among substance users.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Article
- Retention in treatment and therapeutic adherence: How are these associated with therapeutic success? An analysis using real-world data.International journal of methods in psychiatric research · 2022Observational
- Effects of Cannabis on PTSD Recovery: Review of the Literature and Clinical Insights.Current addiction reports · 2022Article
- Anxiety sensitivity and cannabis use motives among trauma-exposed young adult cannabis users.The American journal on addictions · 2022Article
- Cannabinoid use is enhanced by stress and changes conditioned stress responses.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2022Article
- Prevalence and Correlates of Cannabis Use and Cannabis Use Disorder Among U.S. Veterans: Results From the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC-III).The American journal of psychiatry · 2022Article
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptomatology and Substance Use in an Outpatient Concurrent Disorders Sample.Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie · 2021Article
- Testing Mindful Awareness as a Moderator in the Association Between HIV-Related Stress and Drug and Alcohol Use Problems Among People Living with HIV.Mindfulness · 2020Article
- Innovations in digital interventions for psychological trauma: harnessing advances in cognitive science.mHealth · 2018Review
- Sex Differences across Retrospective Transitions in Posttraumatic Stress and Substance Use Disorders.Journal of dual diagnosisArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
The co-occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use is related to poorer outcome and increased dropout from trauma-focused treatment. Investigating PTSD and substance use can inform the intervention approaches. Exploring cannabis use in particular is especially important because rates of cannabis use have been increasing with recent legalization trends. A better understanding of how substance use is associated with treatment processes and outcome for individuals with PTSD is needed to enhance care. In this study, both lifetime diagnoses of alcohol and drug use disorders and current alcohol and drug use severity were examined in 200 men and women with chronic PTSD who received either prolonged exposure (PE) or sertraline. No lifetime or current alcohol use variables predicted dropout, adherence, or poorer outcome. However, lifetime diagnosis of both an alcohol and drug disorder (OR = 3.42) and recent cannabis use (OR = 3.38) strongly predicted higher dropout. Recent cannabis use and drug use severity predicted poorer adherence to PE (β = -.22 to -.29) but not to sertraline. Drug use severity (β = -.22) also predicted worse treatment outcome, as did lifetime diagnosis of an alcohol and drug disorder (β = -.48). Overall, patients with drug use improved with treatment but had less treatment retention, adherence, and symptom reduction. Strategies to increase engagement and retention may be indicated for these patients. Individuals who are using cannabis or other drugs may be at higher risk for not completing PTSD treatment, potentially prolonging the cycle of PTSD and substance use. (PsycINFO Database Record
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.