Psychological Intervention in Adults with Difficult-to-Treat Migraine: Benefits of Applying MIDITRA Protocol

Background: There is never an ideal time for people with a substance use disorder (SUD) to seek help. Several studies suggest that ‘hitting rock bottom’ is one of the reasons for entering treatment. However, little is known about the reasons for entering SUD treatment. The aims of this study were 1) to assess the occurrence of stressful life events (SLEs) in the 6 months prior to starting SUD treatment, 2) to explore the relationship between SLEs and addiction severity, and 3) to consider the effect of sex on this relationship. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the sample consisted of 200 (167 men and 33 women) participants from two clinical centres for the treatment of SUD. Results: The prevalence of having at least one SLE was 79.5% (79.0% in men and 81.1% in women). Men had a greater number of SLEs than women. Moderate correlations were found between different SLEs and addiction severity domains in both men and women. Men with > 2 SLEs had more severe problems in the employment, drug, family/social and psychiatric domains of the EuropASI, more problems controlling violent behaviour and more previous psychopharmacological treatments than men with ≤ 2 SLEs. Conclusions: The results of this study are novel and relevant. There is a high prevalence of SLEs among people with SUD. Addiction treatment may be an opportunity to address SLEs.