We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
To save content items to your account,
please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies.
If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account.
Find out more about saving content to .
To save content items to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org
is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings
on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part
of your Kindle email address below.
Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations.
‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi.
‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
This chapter starts by describing the key features of drug use disorders and how to assess them, including using objective tests of substance use. The principles of medical treatment are described, incorporating harm reduction strategies, medically assisted withdrawal, agonist therapies and relapse prevention. Opiates are used as a case study to consider the theory and practicalities of each approach, before describing how to integrate psychosocial interventions into an integrated approach to treatment. Stimulants and cannabis are then considered, before a review of the overarching concept of recovery and its application in recovery-orientated systems of care.
Exposure to traumatic events is both a risk factor for substance use and an adverse outcome of substance use disorders. Identifying and managing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with addiction requires attention.
Aims
To examine the lifetime prevalence of traumatic events and past-month prevalence of PSTD in patients treated for opioid use disorder, and explore the association between trauma, PTSD and treatment outcomes.
Method
Participants (n = 674) receiving methadone treatment in 20 community clinics across Ontario, Canada, were administered the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview to identify self-reported traumatic events and PTSD. Drug use was measured for 12 months by urine drug screens.
Results
Eleven per cent of participants met past-month criteria for PTSD (n = 72), and 48% reported history of traumatic events with no current PTSD (n = 323). Participants with PTSD were more likely to be female (odds ratio 2.13, 95% CI 1.20–3.76) and less likely to be employed (odds ratio 0.31, 95% CI 0.16–0.61) or married (odds ratio 0.51, 95% CI 0.26–0.90) than those with no trauma history. Antidepressants (39 v. 24%) and benzodiazepines (36 v. 18%) were differentially prescribed to patients with and without PTSD. Length of time in treatment and opioid use were not associated with trauma; however, suicidal ideation was more common in PTSD (odds ratio 2.29, 95% CI 1.04–5.01).
Conclusions
Trauma and PTSD are prevalent among patients with opioid use disorder, and consideration of trauma symptoms and associated characteristics is warranted. Patients with and without comorbid PTSD differ clinically and psychosocially, highlighting the relevance of integrating addiction and mental health services for this population.
Evaluation of suspected alcohol withdrawal should start by obtaining a complete alcohol use history. Symptom-triggered treatment of alcohol withdrawal using assessment scales such as the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol, Revised (CIWA-Ar) is the preferred method. A score of less than ten indicates the need for continued monitoring of the patient. A score of 10 to 15 indicates mild withdrawal, 16 to 20 moderate withdrawal, and greater than 20 severe withdrawal. Sedative/hypnotic (benzodiazepine, barbiturate, and related drug) withdrawal is managed by the same principles used to treat alcohol withdrawal. The consultant may be called upon to assist in managing opioid withdrawal related to illicit use, problems with prescription analgesics, or ongoing opioid agonist therapy (OAT) for addiction. Federally accredited opioid treatment programs (OTPs) can administer methadone or buprenorphine for detoxification or maintenance as part of a comprehensive treatment program.
Recommend this
Email your librarian or administrator to recommend adding this to your organisation's collection.