Critical Analysis of the Current Treatment Guidelines for Complex PTSD in Adults

Background: There is room for improvement regarding the treatment of severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Intensifying treatment to increase patient retention is a promising development. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an intensive trauma-focused treatment programme over 8 days for individuals suffering from severe PTSD. Method: Treatment was provided for 347 PTSD patients (70% women; mean age = 38.32 years, SD = 11.69) and consisted of daily sessions of prolonged exposure and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy (16 sessions in total), physical activity, and psycho-education. All participants had experienced multiple traumas, including sexual abuse (74.4%), and suffered from multiple comorbidities (e.g. 87.5% had a mood disorder). Suicidal ideation was frequent (73.9%). PTSD symptom severity was assessed by both clinician-rated [Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS)] and self-report [PTSD Symptom Scale Self Report (PSS-SR) and Impact of Event Scale (IES)] inventories. For a subsample (n = 109), follow-up data at 6 months were available. Results: A significant decline in symptom severity was found (e.g. CAPS intention-to-treat sample Cohen’s d = 1.64). At post-treatment, 82.9% showed a clinically meaningful response and 54.9% a loss of diagnosis. Dropout was very low (2.3%). Conclusions: Intensive trauma-focused treatment programmes including prolonged exposure, EMDR therapy, and physical activity can be effective for patients suffering from severe PTSD and are associated with low dropout rates.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

“…No relaxation or emotion regulation skills training was applied prior to the processing of their memories (for the rationale see De Jongh et al, 2016). To avoid confounding of elements of stabilization and trauma-focused therapy, the second phase (i.e.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of an intensive treatment programme combining prolonged exposure and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for severe post-traumatic stress disorder

Woudenberg¹,

Voorendonk²,

Bongaerts³

et al. 2018

“…From this perspective, the drop-out rate in the current study of less than 4% is a remarkable finding. This is even more remarkable as regular treatment programmes for PTSD report drop-out rates of approximately 20% (Imel, Laska, Jakupcak, & Simpson, 2013), given the discussion about the need for a stabilization and emotion regulation phase (De Jongh et al, 2016) and the prevailing notion that a history of CSA renders patients more prone to attrition (Cloitre et al, 2002). However, the reason for the low drop-out rate may also be due to more practical aspects of intensive treatment, since within a short time-frame of two weeks less interfering variables may play a role.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Apart from therapy sessions, patients participated in four exercise activities daily, and psycho-education sessions each evening. Further, the patients did not receive any relaxation or emotion regulation skills training prior to the processing of their memories (for the rationale see De Jongh et al, 2016). Only memories of traumatic experiences that fulfilled the DSM-IV Criterion A of PTSD were targeted, starting with the most intrusive memory first.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of childhood sexual abuse on the outcome of intensive trauma-focused treatment for PTSD

Wagenmans¹,

Minnen

Sleijpen

et al. 2018

Self Cite

Background: It is assumed that PTSD patients with a history of childhood sexual abuse benefit less from trauma-focused treatment than those without such a history. Objective: To test whether the presence of a history of childhood sexual abuse has a negative effect on the outcome of intensive trauma-focused PTSD treatment. Method: PTSD patients, 83% of whom suffered from severe PTSD, took part in a therapy programme consisting of 2 × 4 consecutive days of Prolonged Exposure (PE) and EMDR therapy (eight of each). In between sessions, patients participated in sport activities and psycho-education sessions. No prior stabilization phase was implemented. PTSD symptom scores of clinician-administered and self-administered measures were analysed using the data of 165 consecutive patients. Pre-post differences were compared between four trauma groups; patients with a history of childhood sexual abuse before age 12 (CSA), adolescent sexual abuse (ASA; i.e. sexual abuse between 12 and 18 years of age), sexual abuse (SA) at age 18 and over, or no history of sexual abuse (NSA). Results: Large effect sizes were achieved for PTSD symptom reduction for all trauma groups (Cohen’s d = 1.52–2.09). For the Clinical Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) and the Impact of Event Scale (IES), no differences in treatment outcome were found between the trauma (age) groups. For the PTSD Symptom Scale Self Report (PSS-SR), there were no differences except for one small effect between CSA and NSA. Conclusions: The results do not support the hypothesis that the presence of a history of childhood sexual abuse has a detrimental impact on the outcome of first-line (intensive) trauma-focused treatments for PTSD.

“…Unlike intensive TFT, this would imply treatments being lengthened rather than shortened. Others argue that the evidence for these sequential or multicomponent interventions for complex PTSD patients is weak (de Jongh et al, 2016). To bridge the knowledge gap concerning the effectiveness of TFT for more complex patient populations, we developed a highly intensive TFT programme for those patients with a likely diagnosis of ICD-11 Complex PTSD after multiple interpersonal trauma that had a history of multiple treatment attempts as a next step in their treatment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intensive prolonged exposure therapy for chronic PTSD patients following multiple trauma and multiple treatment attempts

Hendriks

Kleine

Broekman³

et al. 2018

Background: Suboptimal response and high dropout rates leave room for improvement of trauma-focused treatment (TFT) effectiveness in ameliorating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Objective: To explore the effectiveness and safety of intensive prolonged exposure (iPE) targeting chronic PTSD patients with a likely diagnosis of ICD-11 Complex PTSD following multiple interpersonal trauma and a history of multiple treatment attempts. Method: Participants (N = 73) received iPE in 12 × 90-minute sessions over four days (intensive phase) followed by four weekly 90-minute booster prolonged exposure (PE) sessions (booster phase). The primary outcomes, clinician-rated severity of PTSD symptoms, and diagnostic status (Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale; CAPS-IV) were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and at three and six months. Treatment response trajectories were identified and predictors of these trajectories explored. Results: Mixed model repeated measures analysis of CAPS-IV scores showed a baseline-to-posttreatment decrease in PTSD symptom severity (p < .001) that persisted during the three- and six-month follow-ups with large effect sizes (Cohen’s d > 1.2); 71% of the participants responded. None of the participants dropped out during the intensive phase and only 5% during the booster phase. Adverse events were extremely low and only a minority showed symptom exacerbation. Cluster analysis demonstrated four treatment response trajectories: Fast responders (13%), Slow responders (26%), Partial responders (32%), and Non-responders (29%). Living condition and between-session fear habituation were found to predict outcome. Participants living alone were more likely to belong to the Partial responders than to the Non-responders cluster, and participants showing more between-session fear habituation were more likely to belong to the Fast responders than to the Non-responders cluster. Conclusions: The results of this open study suggest that iPE can be effective in PTSD patients with multiple interpersonal trauma and after multiple previous treatment attempts. In addition, in this chronic PTSD population iPE was safe.