NCT00763542

Combined Treatment for Patients With Comorbid Substance Use Disorders and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): an Integration of Cognitive-behavioral Treatment (CBT) and Trauma-focused Structured Writing Therapy

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing (1) a Combined Treatment of CBT for Substance Use Disorders (SUD) and Trauma-focused Structured Writing Therapy With (2) CBT for SUD Alone in Patients With Comorbid SUD and PTSD

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 130 (actual)
• Sponsor: VU University of Amsterdam · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 80 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study is a randomized controlled trial comparing two treatments for patients with comorbid substance use disorder (SUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) conducted within two different routine clinical settings for the treatment of SUD, namely (a) a day-care and inpatient setting and (b) an outpatient setting. Participants will be randomly assigned to either (1) a combination of cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) for SUD and trauma-focused structured writing therapy, or (2) CBT for SUD alone. Randomization will take place separately for each setting. It is expected that the combined treatment is significantly more effective in reducing symptoms of SUD as well as PTSD than CBT for SUD alone. Outcome measures will be assessed at pre-treatment, post-treatment as well as 3 months, 6 months and 12 months follow-up.

Conditions

• Substance-Related Disorders
• Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	CBT for SUD	CBT for SUD focuses on patient-motivation, self-control strategies and relapse-prevention.
BEHAVIORAL	Structured writing therapy for PTSD	Patients progress through three stages, in which instructions for writing and feedback by therapists are successively aimed at achieving trauma processing, cognitive restructuring and social sharing of a traumatic event.

Timeline

• Start date: 2008-07-01
• Primary completion: 2011-07-01
• Completion: 2013-05-01
• First posted: 2008-10-01
• Last updated: 2013-11-05

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Netherlands