Mechanisms of Change, Motivation, and Treatment Outcome in Alcohol Dependence - Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

University of Mississippi

Status: Completed

Conditions: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Alcohol Dependence

Treatments: Behavioral: Healthy lifestyles sessions; Behavioral: Trauma-focused exposure therapy; Behavioral: Motivational enhancement + trauma-focused exposure therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT01409707

2007-0071

R01AA016816 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to test if provision of an effective psychotherapy for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), prolonged exposure, can be tolerated in alcohol dependent patients with PTSD and if it is associated with better treatment outcomes compared to an active control condition.

Enrollment: 126 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Current PTSD
• Current Alcohol Dependence
• at least one heavy drinking day in the past 60 days

Exclusion criteria

• Psychotic disorder
• Untreated bi-polar disorder
• benzodiazepine use

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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126 participants in 3 patient groups

Healthy lifestyles sessions

Experimental group

Description:

Healthy lifestyles sessions is a structured 9-12 session intervention that provides education about a variety of health-related topics. Each therapy session was 50-60 minutes long. Sessions included the provision of information, discussing participants' understanding of information, and answering questions about the information provided.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Healthy lifestyles sessions

Trauma-focused exposure therapy

Experimental group

Description:

Trauma focused exposure therapy is a well-described cognitive-behavioral therapy that utilizes imaginal and in vivo exposure techniques to reduce the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. In addition to imaginal and iv vivo exposure techniques, in the current study patients were provided psychoeducation about posttraumatic stress disorder, a rationale for trauma focused exposure therapy, and were taught breathing retraining as a method to manage arousal associated with posttraumatic stress disorder. Nine to 12 50-60 minutes sessions were provided.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Trauma-focused exposure therapy

Motivational enhancement + trauma-focused exposure therapy

Experimental group

Description:

A one session, 90 min. trauma-focused motivational enhancement therapy session was provided prior to starting the trauma-focused exposure therapy. Trauma focused exposure therapy is a well-described cognitive-behavioral therapy that utilizes imaginal and in vivo exposure techniques to reduce the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. In addition to imaginal and iv vivo exposure techniques, in the current study patients were provided psychoeducation about posttraumatic stress disorder, a rationale for trauma focused exposure therapy, and were taught breathing retraining as a method to manage arousal associated with posttraumatic stress disorder. Nine to 12 50-60 minutes sessions were provided.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Motivational enhancement + trauma-focused exposure therapy