Use of self-report measures of crime-related posttraumatic stress disorder with substance use disordered patients

J Subst Abuse Treat. 1997 Sep-Oct;14(5):431-7. doi: 10.1016/s0740-5472(97)00120-7.

Abstract

Researchers have documented that approximately three-quarters of all patients in treatment for a substance use disorder (SUD) report a history of sexual or physical assault and that at least 25% of treatment-seeking SUD patients suffer from crime-related posttraumatic stress disorder (CR-PTSD). To address the pressing need to accurately evaluate symptoms associated with victimization, a battery of self-report instruments and a semi-structured interview were administered to 114 SUD patients. More than 90% of the SUD patients reported some type of victimization and approximately 38% met criteria for current CR-PTSD. The self-report battery correctly classified CR-PTSD status in 79% of the respondents with a sensitivity rate of 82% and a specificity rate of 74%. The results indicate that: (a) there is a high prevalence of CR-PTSD in SUD patients, (b) CR-PTSD should be evaluated in every SUD patient, and (c) the self-report battery utilized in the present study may serve as a valid tool for an initial CR-PTSD screening or to supplement a clinical interview.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Comorbidity
  • Crime*
  • Discriminant Analysis
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Personality Inventory / statistics & numerical data*
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Prevalence
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / statistics & numerical data*
  • Psychometrics
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / diagnosis*
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / epidemiology
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / etiology
  • Substance-Related Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Substance-Related Disorders / epidemiology
  • Surveys and Questionnaires