Presence of PTSD and Emotion Dysregulation Among Inpatients With Substance Use Disorder

Summary

There are high rates of co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among patients receiving treatment for substance use disorder (SUD). PTSD and SUD should be treated simultaneously, but adults in SUD treatment are often not assessed for PTSD nor offered PTSD-based interventions. One of the reasons for reluctance in offering trauma focused treatment is increased risk of drop out. PTSD and related emotion dysregulation are related to elevated psychological burden, higher dropout rates and increased risk of relapse. this is a feasibility study, where the plan is to integrate a combination of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for Substance Use Disorder (DBT-SUD skills) a therapy targeting difficulties in emotion regulation and Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) a trauma focused therapy, for patients with co-occurring PTSD symptoms into standard SUD treatment . The plan is to assess its potential benefits by assessing whether adding this combination to standard SUD treatment is relevant, feasible, acceptable, and safe. Treatment outcomes are 1) Prevalence of PTSD, suicidal behaviour, and self-harm, as well as the severity of difficulties in emotion regulation and emotional avoidance among patients (N approx. = 100) in inpatient treatment for SUD. 2) Change post-treatment and at 3 and 12 months follow up, from baseline in PTSD symptom severity, depressive symptoms, emotion regulation, emotion avoidance, and experience of shame. 3) Rates of dropout and relapse compared to previous rates.

This project can increase knowledge about psychological mechanisms in co-occurring PTSD and SUD and improve the quality of treatment for this vulnerable patient population.

Conditions

• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Substance Use Disorders
• Emotion Regulation
• Suicide
• Self-harm

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Narrative Exposure Therapy

The intervention period will be from (May 2021- October 2024). All patients will participate in standard treatment at MBS. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy -Substance Use Disorder skills training (DBT-SUD skills) will be offered to all patients at MBS in the project period that experience difficulties in emotion regulation and manage to commit to participating in the DBT- skills training evaluated by their DBT therapist. Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) will be offered to all patients with relevant traumatic experience and symptoms of PTSD depending on clinical evaluation.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Møre og Romsdal Hospital Trust

  collaborator OTHER

• Oslo University Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• Norwegian University of Science and Technology

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Egil Jonsbu · Norwegian University of Science and Technology

• Johanna Vigfusdottir · Norwegian University of Science and Technology

• Edvard Breivik · Norwegian University of Science and Technology

• Erlend Mork · Oslo University Hospital

• Lars Lien · National Competence Center for Co-Occurring Addictive and Psychiatric Disorders

• Håkon Stenmark · Regional Center for Violence and Traumatic Stress and St. Olavs Hospital

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-05-01

Primary Completion

2024-10-01

Completion

2025-10-01

Countries

• Norway

Study Locations