Exclusion of participants based on substance use status: Findings from randomized controlled trials of treatments for PTSD

Background: Although exposure-based therapy is a well-established, effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), some practitioners report reluctance to implement it due to concerns that it may exacerbate symptoms of PTSD and commonly comorbid disorders, such as substance use disorders (SUD).Aim: This study compared the exacerbation of psychological symptoms among participants with comorbid PTSD and SUD who received either SUD treatment alone or SUD treatment integrated with exposure therapy for PTSD.Method: Participants (N = 71) were treatment-seeking, military Veterans with comorbid PTSD and SUD who were randomized to 12 individual sessions of either (1) an integrated, exposure-based treatment (Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders using Prolonged Exposure; COPE); or (2) a non-exposure-based, SUD-only treatment (Relapse Prevention; RP). We examined between-group differences in the frequency of statistically reliable exacerbations of PTSD, SUD and depression symptoms experienced during treatment.Results: At each of the 12 sessions, symptom exacerbation was minimal and generally equally likely in either treatment group. However, an analysis of treatment completers suggests that RP participants experienced slightly more exacerbations of PTSD symptoms during the course of treatment.Conclusions: This study is the first to investigate symptom exacerbation throughout trauma-focused exposure therapy for individuals with comorbid PTSD and SUD. Results add to a growing literature which suggests that trauma-focused, exposure-based therapy does not increase the risk of symptom exacerbation relative to non-exposure-based therapy.

Background Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD) have high comorbidity. Although prior research indicated that PTSD can effectively be treated with Prolonged Exposure (PE) in these patients, reported effects are small and treatment dropout rates high. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) are other promising treatment options for PTSD, that have not yet been examined in this patient group. Furthermore, it is unclear whether PTSD treatment is most effective when offered simultaneous to or after SUD treatment. Methods In this article, the Treatment Of PTSD and Addiction (TOPA) study is described: a Dutch randomized controlled trial (RCT) that studies the effectiveness of PTSD treatment as an add-on to regular SUD treatment in patients with SUD and co-occurring PTSD. Effects of PE, EMDR, ImRs, and a 3-month SUD treatment only condition will be compared, as well as simultaneous SUD/PTSD treatment to sequential SUD/PTSD treatment. The primary outcome measure is PTSD symptoms. Secondary outcomes are: treatment completion, psychological distress, substance use, interpersonal problems, emotion dysregulation, and trauma-related emotions guilt, shame, and anger. Discussion This study is the first to compare effects of PE, EMDR, and ImRs in one study and to compare simultaneous SUD/PTSD treatment to sequential SUD/PTSD treatment as well. This RCT will provide more knowledge about the effectiveness of different treatment strategies for PTSD in patients with co-occurring SUD and will ultimately improve treatment outcomes for patients with this common co-morbidity worldwide. Trial registration Netherlands Trial Register (NTR), Identifier: NL7885. Registered 22 July 2019.

The longitudinal cohort study is the gold standard in observational epidemiology. A central challenge with this design is the risk of attrition over time, especially in studies of inaccessible clinical populations, such as individuals with substance use disorder (SUD). Research on individuals who have achieved stable substance use abstinence and functional recovery is scarce. 30 participants from a longitudinal cohort study (the Stayer study), were interviewed concerning their experiences of participation over several years to explore retention factors. Interviewers with first-hand experience of recovery from SUD conducted the interviews. Data were analyzed using a thematic analytic approach within an interpretative–phenomenological framework. The analyses yielded the following themes: (1) Individuals’ substance use: adaptation to slips and relapses in treatment and research, (2) “Show that you care”: Developing working relationships in research with study participants by negotiating expectations flexibly, and (3) “You don’t just make dropouts”: A long-term focus on study participation and treatment can increase retention. Several factors were perceived as relevant to participation in a long-term follow-up study with diverse recovery routes, including working research relationships and explicit contracts allowing follow-up participation, even during periods of drug use. Longitudinal studies could benefit from including such factors in the tracking procedures in addition to more traditional tracking techniques. Clinical services could benefit from developing interventions that use knowledge of long-term recovery processes as non-linear, heterogeneous trajectories, and proactive approaches to motivate recovery.