Racial/ethnic match and treatment outcomes for women with PTSD and substance use disorders receiving community-based treatment

Community Ment Health J. 2014 Oct;50(7):811-22. doi: 10.1007/s10597-014-9732-9. Epub 2014 May 10.

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between racial/ethnic match and treatment outcomes for 224 women who participated in a clinical trial of group treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine the effect of client-therapist racial/ethnic match on outcomes. Results revealed racial/ethnic match was not significantly associated with session attendance. There was a significant three-way interaction between client race/ethnicity, baseline level of PTSD symptoms, and racial/ethnic match on PTSD outcomes. White clients, with severe PTSD symptoms at baseline, who attended treatment groups where they were matched with their therapist, had greater reductions in PTSD symptoms at follow-up than their counterparts who were racially/ethnically mismatched with their group therapist. Racial/ethnic match did not confer additional benefits for Black clients in terms of PTSD outcomes. Racial/ethnic match interacted with baseline substance use to differentially influence substance use outcomes at follow-up for all women. Clinical implications are discussed.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Black or African American / psychology
  • Black or African American / statistics & numerical data
  • Community Mental Health Services
  • Ethnicity / psychology
  • Ethnicity / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Hispanic or Latino / psychology
  • Hispanic or Latino / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Compliance / ethnology
  • Patient Compliance / statistics & numerical data
  • Psychotherapy, Group
  • Racial Groups / psychology
  • Racial Groups / statistics & numerical data*
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / complications
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / ethnology*
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / therapy
  • Substance-Related Disorders / complications
  • Substance-Related Disorders / ethnology*
  • Substance-Related Disorders / therapy
  • Treatment Outcome
  • White People / psychology
  • White People / statistics & numerical data
  • Young Adult