While the detrimental effects of concurrent
substance use disorders (SUDs) are now being well documented, very few studies have examined this comorbidity among women with
posttraumatic stress disorder (
PTSD). Data for these analyses were derived from the "Women and
Trauma" study conducted within the National
Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network. Women with full or subthreshold
PTSD and co-occurring cannabis use disorder (CUD) and
cocaine use disorder (COD; N=99) were compared to their counterparts with co-occurring CUD only (N=26) and co-occurring COD only (N=161) on rates of
trauma exposure,
psychiatric disorders, psychosocial problems, and other
substance use utilizing a set of multivariate logistic regressions. In models adjusted for age and race/ethnicity, women with
PTSD and COD only were significantly older than their counterparts with CUD only and concurrent CUD+COD. Relative to those with CUD only, women with concurrent CUD+COD had higher odds of adult sexual assault. Relative to those with COD only, women with concurrent CUD+COD had higher odds of
alcohol use disorder in the past 12months. Finally, relative to those with CUD only, women with COD only had higher odds of ever being arrested/convicted and adult sexual assault. The higher rates of adult sexual assault and
alcohol use disorder among those with concurrent CUD+COD suggest the need for
trauma-informed approaches that can respond to the needs of this dually-diagnosed population. Moreover, the causal link between repeated traumatic stress exposure and polysubstance use requires further examination.