RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with comorbid substance use disorders (SUDs) has been associated with poorer treatment outcomes. The present study examined associations between provisional PTSD at baseline and 3 months with 6-month treatment outcomes from either a one-session motivational enhancement therapy (MET) or education intervention addressing substance use. METHOD: Secondary analyses were conducted on a randomized clinical trial comparing a novel MET intervention to an educational intervention for Army personnel with SUD who were not engaged in SUD treatment (n = 242; 92.1% male). We compared three groups with complete data on baseline and 3-month provisional PTSD: individuals without provisional PTSD at baseline (n = 98), those with provisional PTSD remitted by 3 months (n = 42), and those with provisional PTSD unremitted at 3 months (n = 53) on alcohol use frequency, quantity, consequences, and related diagnoses. RESULTS: Individuals with unremitted provisional PTSD were at increased risk for moderate/severe alcohol use disorder at 6 months relative to those without baseline provisional PTSD (odds ratio = 4.53, p = .007). The effect of MET on drinks per week at 6 months (controlling for baseline) differed with a significant effect of MET for individuals with remitted provisional PTSD (count ratio = 0.41, p = .005). CONCLUSIONS: Both interventions were effective in reducing drinking even for those with provisional PTSD, although, compared with education, MET had slightly better effects on reducing drinking quantity for those with remitted PTSD. Findings suggest that PTSD remission may serve as an early prognostic indicator of long-term alcohol use changes, or alternatively, delivery of MET during heightened transitory distress may be most effective for reducing alcohol use.