ABSTRACT
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance misuse or substance use disorder (SUD) commonly co-occur, with half or more of those diagnosed with one disorder also meeting criteria for the other (Bonin, Norton, Asmundson, Dicurzio, & Pidlubney, 2000; Brown & Wolfe, 1994; Kessler, Sonnega, Bromet, Hughes, & Nelson, 1995; Stewart, Pihl, Conrod, & Dongier, 1998). Due to the ubiquity of PTSD/SUD, much research in the past two decades has been devoted to understanding the occurrence, etiology, and consequences of this comorbidity. Some of this work has focused specifically on the deleterious psychological, physical, and functional outcomes that are associated with this comorbidity. Findings from this literature suggest significant levels of impairment across multiple domains. Yet, this literature has generated as many questions as it has answers, and there still is much to be known about the myriad effects of co-occurring PTSD/SUD.
