Abstract :
Trauma exposure has been identified as a significant risk factor for substance use disorder (SUD), a complex disorder shaped by biological, psychological, and psychosocial factors. The current study examined the relationships between treatment outcomes, coping styles, and trauma exposure in SUD patients undergoing treatment at rehabilitation centers in Pakistan. There was a cross-sectional research design with a purposive sample of 132 respondents recruited. The instruments were the Brief Trauma Questionnaire (BTQ), Brief COPE inventory, and the Treatment Effectiveness Assessment (TEA) to gather information using the above-mentioned data collection tools, and the later analyses were conducted by the means of correlation, regression. The results showed that childhood trauma had a strong correlation with the emergence of maladaptive coping strategies especially avoidance, denial and impulsivity. The effects of these emotion-based coping strategies were discovered to impact negatively on treatment outcomes, such as treatment retention and length of abstinence. Problem-oriented coping strategies, on the other hand, were associated with better recovery patterns and efficacy of treatment. The findings emphasize the need for the implementation of trauma-informed interventions that promote adaptive coping styles, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), to improve treatment outcomes. Limitations in the methods are the cross-sectional design, the use of self-report measures, and insufficient diversity in the sample, which can limit the external validity of the results. Longitudinal designs and testing the effectiveness of targeted coping interventions should be included in future studies as well as more heterogeneous populations. The study has implications to inform the formulation of integrative, trauma-informed interventions to address SUDs by clarifying the critical roles of the trauma history and cope strategies in determining treatment outcomes.