Predicting Outcome in an Intensive Outpatient PTSD Treatment Program Using Daily Measures

Geusau, V.V.P. Alting van; Mulder, Jeroen D.; Matthijssen, Suzy J. M. A.

doi:10.3390/jcm10184152

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 45 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It is frequently used to monitor symptom change during and after treatment. Although typically administered to assess PTSD symptom severity over the past month, the PCL-5 items were adapted for our EMA protocol to query symptoms experienced over the past day (24 hours), consistent with prior work using daily adaptations of the PCL-5 [35,36]. Scores are summed into DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters, consisting of intrusive re-experiencing (Cluster B), avoidance (Cluster C), negative alterations in mood and cognition (Cluster D), and hyperarousal (Cluster E) symptoms.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological Momentary Assessments of Trauma-Related Intrusive Memories: Potential Clinical Utility

Pollmann,

Clancy,

Devignes

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

As the global prevalence of trauma rises, there is a growing need for accessible and scalable treatments for trauma-related disorders like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Trauma-related intrusive memories (TR-IMs) are a central PTSD symptom and a target of exposure-based therapies, gold-standard treatments that are effective but resource-intensive. This study examined whether a brief ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol assessing the phenomenology of TR-IMs could reduce intrusion symptoms in trauma-exposed adults. Participants (N=131) experiencing at least 2 TR-IMs per week related to a DSM-5 criterion A trauma completed a 2-week EMA protocol during which they reported on TR-IM qualities three times per day, and on posttraumatic stress symptoms at the end of each day. Longitudinal symptom measurements were entered into linear mixed-effects models to test the effect of Time on TR-IMs. Over the 2-week EMA protocol, intrusion symptom severity (cluster B scores) significantly declined (t = -2.78, p = 0.006), while other symptom cluster scores did not significantly change. Follow-up analyses demonstrated that this effect was specific to TR-IMs (t = -4.02, p = 0.0001), and was not moderated by survey completion rate, total PTSD symptom severity, or ongoing treatment. Our findings indicate that implementing an EMA protocol assessing intrusive memories could be an effective trauma intervention. Despite study limitations like its quasi-experimental design and absence of a control group, the specificity of findings to intrusive memories argues against a mere regression to the mean. Overall, an EMA approach could provide a cost-effective and scalable treatment option targeting intrusive memory symptoms.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological Momentary Assessments of Trauma-Related Intrusive Memories: Potential Clinical Utility

Pollmann,

Clancy,

Devignes

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Specific symptom change associated with ecological momentary assessments of intrusive trauma memories

Pollmann,

Clancy,

Devignes

et al. 2024

NPP—Digit Psychiatry Neurosci

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

As the global prevalence of exposure to traumatic events rises, there is a growing need for accessible and scalable treatments for trauma-related disorders like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Intrusive reexperiencing symptoms, such as trauma-related intrusive memories (TR-IMs), are central to PTSD and a target of gold-standard treatments that are effective but resource-intensive. This study examined whether completing a brief ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol assessing the occurrence and phenomenology of TR-IMs was associated with decreases in intrusion symptom severity. Trauma-exposed adults (N = 139) experiencing at least 2 TR-IMs per week related to a DSM-5 criterion A traumatic event completed a 2-week EMA protocol. During this period, they reported on 18 sensory-perceptual and affective qualities of their TR-IMs three times per day and on posttraumatic stress symptom severity at day’s end. Longitudinal symptom measurements were entered into linear mixed-effects models to test the effect of Time on symptom severity. Over the 2-week protocol, intrusion symptom severity decreased, while other symptom cluster scores did not change. Within the intrusion symptoms, this effect was specific to TR-IMs and emotional reactivity to trauma reminders, and was not moderated by survey completion rate, total PTSD symptom severity, ongoing treatment, or time since trauma. This study was quasi-experimental and lacked a control group, therefore no definitive conclusions about clinical utility can be made. Nonetheless, these findings provide preliminary proof-of-principle and warrant future clinical trials assessing the clinical efficacy of EMAs of intrusive trauma memories as a scalable treatment option targeting intrusive memory symptoms.

show abstract

Predicting Outcome in an Intensive Outpatient PTSD Treatment Program Using Daily Measures

Cited by 2 publications

References 45 publications

Ecological Momentary Assessments of Trauma-Related Intrusive Memories: Potential Clinical Utility

Ecological Momentary Assessments of Trauma-Related Intrusive Memories: Potential Clinical Utility

Specific symptom change associated with ecological momentary assessments of intrusive trauma memories

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About