Treating substance use and traumatic stress among adolescents
December 2017
Staff:
Associate Professor Katherine Mills
Professor Maree Teesson
Dr Emma Barrett
Dr Joanne Ross
Miss Ivana Kihas
Other Collaborators:
Prof Sudie Back, Medical University of South Carolina
Dr Vanessa Cobham, University of Queensland
Dr Sarah Bendall, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, ORYGEN
A/Prof Sean Perrin, Lund University
Prof Kathleen Brady, Medical University of South Carolina
Project description:
It is estimated that 80% of adolescents have experienced at least one traumatic event and one in seven suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For 50% of these adolescents, the course of their illness is further complicated by a co-occurring substance use disorder (SUD), which frequently develops as a consequence of repeated “self-medication” of PTSD symptoms. Once established, both disorders serve to maintain and exacerbate the other, leading to a chronic course of illness and significant treatment complications. There is a critical need to intervene early in the trajectory of these conditions in order to prevent the chronic psychological, psychosocial, and physical health problems associated with this comorbidity.
Rationale:
This project is a long overdue response to a significant public health concern. Despite the prevalence, disability and chronicity of comorbid PTSD+SUD, and the fact that these disorders typically have their onset in adolescence, there are currently no empirically validated treatment options for adolescents with this comorbidity.
Aim:
The aim of this randomised controlled trial is to examine the efficacy of two integrated psychological therapies for adolescents aged 12-18 years who are experiencing traumatic stress and using alcohol or other drugs.
For full details please visit the NDARC website.
