A Latent Profile Analysis of Substance Use and Post-Traumatic Stress on Substance Use Treatment Outcomes Among People Involved with the Justice System

This study used latent profile analysis to classify legally-involved persons in substance use treatment into mutually exclusive groups based on their clinical presentation of substance use and post-traumatic stress. Predictors of group membership were tested, and group classification was evaluated as a predictor of engagement in substance use treatment. There was a significant amount of variability in substance use and post-traumatic stress symptomatology at the start of treatment. Clients’ symptoms were classified into four groups: (1) high substance use, low trauma, (2) low substance use high trauma, (3) high substance use, high trauma, and (4) low substance use, low trauma. Psychological distress was the primary predictor of group classification and profile membership was differentially related to treatment engagement. Together, these results can be used to inform screening tools, assessment protocols, and adaptive treatment models to better serve people in the legal system experiencing comorbid substance use and post-traumatic stress.