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Trauma-focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for LGBT Patients With Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) logo

Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM)

Status

Completed

Conditions

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Treatments

Behavioral: Trauma-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT04532996
20-05022019

Details and patient eligibility

About

This is a pilot, open trial of trauma-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy for LGBT-identifying individuals who meet for DSM-5 defined post-traumatic stress disorder and are interested in receiving a research psychotherapy intervention. A sample of at least 15 therapy completers will be collected.

Full description

Despite high prevalence of PTSD among LGBT individuals, there are no data characterizing the disorder in this population, nor its treatment. This represents an important under-researched area in LGBT care and treatment. The purpose of this study is: (a) to preliminarily characterize PTSD within an LGBT sample; and (b) to test out the preliminary effects and acceptability of a novel PTSD psychotherapy, trauma-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy, in this group. Participants identifying as LGBT and meeting DSM-5 criteria for PTSD per a structured, reliable clinical interview for PTSD will receive 20-24 sessions of twice-weekly TFPP at no cost. Participants will receive four detailed clinical research assessments, at baseline/study entry, Week 5 of treatment, treatment termination/end (Week 12), and 3-months after the end of treatment.

TFPP is adapted from the only empirically supported, non-exposure focused psychodynamic therapy for panic disorder and anxiety disorders, panic-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy. TFPP aims to improve patients' ability to understand and manage strong, intense emotions that appear seemingly "out of the blue," which links to their tendency to reexperience traumatic events in the here-and-now. TFPP addresses the psychological meanings of symptoms and their relationship to traumatic events to help the patient understand underlying emotions triggering their symptoms and the ways in which trauma influences their current experiences. TFPP was developed for patients with complex PTSD, who often have multiple prior trauma exposures with no clear "index" trauma. Moreover, TFPP also explicitly considers opportunities for patients to explore the broader context of their symptoms and difficulties, including but not limited to LGBT identity or experiences of oppression.

Enrollment

12 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 65 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

  • Identify as LGBTQ
  • CAPS-5 diagnosed PTSD per DSM-5 criteria
  • Stable medication for >=2 months and ongoing during treatment

Exclusion criteria

  • Psychosis or bipolar disorder
  • Primary substance use disorder
  • Severe suicidality
  • Severe depression per a reconstructed Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score of >=24
  • Organic mental syndromes interfering with trial demands

Trial design

Primary purpose

Treatment

Allocation

N/A

Interventional model

Single Group Assignment

Masking

None (Open label)

12 participants in 1 patient group

Trauma-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy
Experimental group
Description:
Twice-weekly psychotherapy for 20-24 sessions.
Treatment:
Behavioral: Trauma-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy

Trial contacts and locations

1

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Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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