Talking Point: Addressing Underlying Trauma in Opioid Use.

Thursday 7th August 2025, 1pm – 2pm AEST – ONLINE

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.

Tanya C. Saraiya, PhD is an assistant professor, licensed clinical psychologist, and director of the PATH Lab in the department of psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina. Broadly, her research aims to understand and attend to traumatic stress and PTSD in individuals in recovery for substance use.

Across this work, she strives to focus on health disparities and ongoing inequities that present based on individual and collective identity, culture, race, and context.

Date: Thursday 7th August 2025 – ONLINE

Venue: Online

Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm AEST

Cost: Free

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