Addressing Underlying Trauma in Opioid Use

Tanya Saraiya, PhD
Medical University of South Carolina

ABSTRACT:
Up to 90% of people with opioid use disorder (OUD) have trauma exposure and up to 41% have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, studies estimate that less than 12% of people with OUD and co-occurring PTSD receive treatment for their PTSD. Dr. Saraiya will present her early career work on assessing and addressing underlying trauma among people struggling with opioid use. Specifically, she will share findings from a new integrated therapy for opioid use disorder and PTSD and the development of a digital toolkit to assess for intimate partner violence in three opioid treatment programs in South Carolina. Throughout this talk, other projects and associated reflections on how systemic racism and healthcare barriers influence trauma and opioid use treatment will be discussed.