Increased Resilience is Associated with Positive Treatment Outcomes for Veterans with Comorbid PTSD and Substance Use
Adam P McGuire1,2,3, Natalie P Mota4, Lauren M Sippel5
1a VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Central Texas Health Care System , Waco , Texas , USA.
Objective:
Resilience has been associated with less severe psychiatric symptomatology and better treatment outcomes among individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders. However, it remains unknown whether resilience increases during psychotherapy within the comorbid PTSD and substance use disorder population with unique features of dual diagnosis, including trauma cue-related cravings. We tested whether veterans seeking psychotherapy for comorbid PTSD and substance use disorder reported increased resilience from pre- to posttreatment. We also tested whether increased resilience was associated with greater decreases in posttreatment PTSD and substance use disorder symptoms.
Methods:
Participants were 29 male veterans (Mage = 49.07 years, SD = 11.24 years) receiving six-week residential day treatment including cognitive processing therapy for PTSD and cognitive behavioral therapy for substance use disorder. Resilience, PTSD symptoms, and trauma cue-related cravings were assessed at pre- and posttreatment.
Results:
Veterans reported a large, significant increase in resilience posttreatment (Mdiff = 14.24, t = -4.22, p < .001, d = 0.74). Greater increases in resilience were significantly associated with fewer PTSD symptoms (β = -0.37, p = .049, sr = -.36) and trauma-cued cravings (β = -0.39, p = .006, sr = -.38) posttreatment when controlling for pretreatment scores and baseline depressive symptoms.
Conclusions:
Results suggest that evidence-based psychotherapy for comorbid PTSD and substance use disorder may facilitate strength-based psychological growth, which may further promote sustained recovery.
Related Concept Videos
Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders
Psychological therapies focus on modifying emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, challenging, and modeling. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers commonly practice psychotherapy. Clinical...
Deleterious Substances in Aggregate
Another type of impurity is clay and fine material that...
Increasing Function
Predicting Reaction Outcomes
Outcomes of Glycolysis
Cellular respiration can occur aerobically (with oxygen) or anaerobically (without oxygen). In the presence of oxygen, cellular respiration starts with glycolysis and continues with pyruvate...


