For Immediate Release
Dec. 1, 2004
Contact: Leah Young
Phone: (240) 240-2130
www.SAMHSA.gov

Government Study Highlights Need for Integrated Counseling for Women with Substance Abuse and Mental Disorders and Trauma

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today released study findings showing that women with mental and substance abuse disorders and histories of violence (trauma) can improve when treated with counseling that addresses all three of their service needs. Women who have a voice in their own treatment report better outcomes than women who do not.

The findings come from the Women, Co-occurring Disorders and Violence Study (WCDVS), a five-year study conducted by SAMHSA of over 2,000 women with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders and trauma histories. The study was not randomized, but rather, women who fit the study eligibility criteria were recruited into a group receiving integrated services, or a group receiving usual care, which treated mental health, substance abuse, and trauma issues in isolation from each other.

Women in the study who received counseling that addressed all three aspects of their lives together improved more than women in usual care. Women's symptoms also improved when they participated in the planning, implementation, and delivery of their own integrated services. Integrated services that involved the women themselves in treatment decisions cost the same as usual care and produced better outcomes, making the services cost-effective.

"The nature and impact of trauma remains too often misunderstood or neglected," explained SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie. "Many women suffer tremendously as a result of misdiagnosis, mistreatment, an absence of integrated care and a lack of a voice in their own treatment. The Women, Co-Occurring Disorders and Violence Study results provide a roadmap for recovery for women with co-occurring disorders and trauma histories.