Dialectical Cognitive Traumatherapy (DCT) on Patients With Severe PTSD Following Sexual Abuse (PASA)

Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim

Status and phase: Unknown; Phase 2

Conditions: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: Dialectical Cognitive Therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00481000

PASA-0230

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to determine whether Dialectical Cognitive Traumatherapy is effective in the treatment of severe and chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following childhood sexual abuse.

Full description

Most studies on psychological treatments for PTSD exclude patients with severe, co-occurring psychopathology. We designed a new treatment (Dialectical Cognitive Trauma Therapy, or DCT) specifically to treat these patients. DCT includes elements of emotion regulation, mindfulness exercises, cognitive and exposure treatment, as well as new elements. This randomized controlled study evaluates the effect of inpatient DCT on these patients.

Enrollment: 64 estimated patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 17+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Female
• Minimum age of 17
• Childhood sexual abuse
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (criteria of SCID)
• At least one of the following diagnoses: Anorexia Nervosa, or Bulimia Nervosa, or substance abuse, or substance dependence, or major depression or at least 4 out of 9 criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder

Exclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of schizophrenia
• Mental retardation
• Body Mass Index lower than 16.5
• Acute delirium
• Perilous selfharming behaviour during the last 4 month
• Suicide attempt with the distinct intention to die during the last 4 month
• Unstability (e.g. homelessness, acute victimisation by offender)
• Pretreatment by DCT

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

64 participants in 1 patient group

1

No Intervention group

Description:

Waitlist; Treatment as usual

Treatment:

Behavioral: Dialectical Cognitive Therapy