Understanding and Treating Substance Use Disorder and Comorbid Conditions in Veterans' Real-Life Settings
VA Office of Research and Development
Summary
An important part of substance use treatment for many people is learning what triggers their substance use and urges, and how they can better manage those triggers. In this study, the investigators will generate a model for each individual that shows likely causal links between their substance use, urges, and comorbid symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression, and PTSD), and the investigators will examine these models as a group to draw conclusions about common causes for substance use (and recovery) among Veterans with substance use disorders. The investigators will also test whether receiving a personal model and clinical feedback improves substance use disorder and comorbid symptom outcomes. Results will include both patient-reported and statistically-determined causes of substance use for individuals and groups, clinical impact of a personalized model and feedback session, and participant feedback about the relevance of this study and intervention.
Description
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are very common in Veterans, with 1 in 3 Veterans meeting criteria for a SUD each year. SUDs typically occur in the context of other comorbid conditions, such as depressive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or anxiety disorders. For Veterans who have comorbid conditions and SUD, treatment outcomes are worse than those who have SUD only. The investigators propose that the factors leading to poor SUD treatment outcomes in this population are not adequately understood and, based on preliminary research, vary widely by individual. The investigators pr…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Inclusion criteria for this study are intended to include most Veterans with SUD * inclusion criteria are current probable SUD as indicated by: * a clinical score on the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) or drug use disorders identification test (DUDIT) * past-month substance use * a reliable access to a smartphone, tablet, or other device with capability of accessing and completing surveys throughout the day * this will exclude those who are currently completing inpatient treatment Exclusion Criteria: * exclusion criteria are being under th…
Interventions
- BehavioralPersonal Causal Model + Personalized Feedback
Receive a personal causal model of one's personalized causes of substance use/urges, along with a 1-hour, live clinical feedback session to suggest how to apply these insights to one's own recovery.
Location
- Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MNMinneapolis, Minnesota