Integrated vs Sequential Treatment for PTSD and Addiction

VA Office of Research and Development

Status: Completed

Conditions: Substance Addiction; PTSD

Treatments: Behavioral: Prolonged Exposure; Behavioral: Motivational Enhancement Therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT01211106

ZDA1-03-W10

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators are examining different treatment strategies of helping patients with PTSD and addiction.

Full description

The investigators hypothesize that Veterans in the integrated conditions will show greater reductions in substance abuse and PTSD symptom severity at the end of treatment and at 6 and 9 month follow-ups. The investigators further hypothesize that offering Veterans Prolonged Exposure (PE) at the onset of treatment in the integrated condition will leader to greater retention and satisfaction than in the sequential treatment design.

Enrollment: 183 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Male or female Persian Gulf Era veterans between 18-65 years old. Older individuals are unlikely to have served in Iraq or Afghanistan.
• Current diagnosis of PTSD (symptom duration > 3 months) with clinically significant trauma-related symptoms, as indicated by a score of at least 50 on the PCL
• Current abuse or dependence on alcohol, stimulants such as cocaine, opioids, including prescription opioids or benzodiazepines. Subjects must report using on average at least 10 out of 30 days prior to signing consent. Of note: subjects can be abusing or dependent upon nicotine or marijuana but these will not be considered sufficient for inclusion
• Provides informed consent
• Speaks and reads English

Exclusion criteria

• Current suicidal or homicidal ideation with intent and/or plan that, in the judgment of the investigator, should be the focus of treatment
• Meets current DSM-IV criteria for bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia or any psychotic disorder
• Has unstable or serious medical illness, including history of stroke, seizure disorder, or unstable cardiac disease
• History of moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Participation in Prolonged Exposure Therapy in the last 6 months.
• Initiation of a new psychotherapy program in the last 2 months.
• Active participation in a formal addiction treatment program. Actively engaged is defined as any visit in the program in the prior month and pending future appointments for the treatment of addictions
• Change in psychotropic medication in the 1 month prior to treatment except for the use of oxazepam for alcohol detoxification or a taper of a previously used benzodiazepine.
• Therapeutic use of a benzodiazepine greater than the equivalent of more than 40 mg of diazepam (see chart) at the time of randomization.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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183 participants in 2 patient groups

Arm 1: Integrated Conditions

Experimental group

Description:

Motivational enhancement therapy for addiction is combined with Prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD from the beginning of treatment. Both are delivered by the same provider throughout treatment.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Prolonged Exposure

Behavioral: Motivational Enhancement Therapy

Arm 2 Sequential therapy

Experimental group

Description:

Motivational enhancement therapy for addiction is delivered in the first 4 weeks and only after the addiction is addressed is the Prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD started.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Prolonged Exposure

Behavioral: Motivational Enhancement Therapy