Understanding Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at a Residential Program for Concurrent Addiction and Mental Health Problems
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Date
2009-04-21T14:07:00Z
Authors
Frost, Elizabeth A.
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Abstract
The experience of trauma is higher in individuals with concurrent disorders than in
the general population, yet little attention to trauma is given in making a clinical
diagnosis for mental illness. This study involved screening for post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) in a residential concurrent population, and indicates 60% of individuals
presenting for treatment of addiction likely suffer from PTSD as well. Typically PTSD
was undiagnosed, with only 6% of those positively assessed having a diagnosis in their
clinical record. The study involved 146 participants and resulted in 87 people meeting
PTSD criteria. Individuals were screened upon admission to the program over a one-year
period of the programs operation. The group reported a total of 483 traumatic events
which met Criterion A of the DSM-IV for PTSD. The most common mental illness
diagnosed among the group was depression, followed by personality disorders.
Suggestions for improvement of the program curriculum to better address the needs of
the population are given. The most common substance of choice was alcohol, followed
by cannabis, poly substances and cocaine.
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Keywords
Patients , Substance abuse , Mental illness , Institutional care , Mentally ill , PTSD , Ontario -- Penetanguishene , Ontario , Treatment , Post-traumatic stress disorder