Collaborative care that combines medication and psychotherapy can reduce the rate of alcohol abuse by trauma survivors and prevent them from developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to researchers at Harborview Medical Center.

Researchers with the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, led by Doug Zatzick, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences in the School of Medicine, studied trauma victims at Harborview from March 2001 to January 2002. Patients had severe injuries and showed symptoms of PTSD, depression, or both conditions. They were divided into groups that received either traditional trauma care or a team approach.

The collaborative care team included a trauma support specialist, who provided case management and motivational intervention for alcohol use, as well as a psychiatrist and a psychologist who delivered medication and cognitive behavioral therapy targeting PTSD.

Patients in the collaborative care group showed no worsening of PTSD conditions over the year following their injuries, while patients receiving traditional care saw their PTSD conditions grow worse. Patients treated by the team approach had a 24.2 percent decrease in alcohol abuse and dependence, compared to a 12.9 percent increase in drinking by the control group.

The Harborview research team included several collaborators in the Department of Pediatrics, the Department of Surgery, and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.