Adaptation of the ECCCLORE Program for Patients With Addictive and Traumatic Problems

Summary

Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (cPTSD) is characterized by chronic and pervasive disruptions in emotion regulation, identity, and relationships following prolonged or multiple exposures to trauma. It is frequently found in patients with addiction. Individuals with cPTSD have more severe addiction. In addition, the co-occurrence of these two disorders is often associated with certain transdiagnostic processes such as impulsivity. Indeed, PTSD is linked to a higher impulsivity score, which in turn promotes increased substance use. A second process also associated with trauma and addiction is hostile attribution bias.

Thus, the trauma-addiction comorbidity generates multiple behavioral consequences (aggression, increased substance use, etc.) that impact patients' quality of life and represent an important treatment target. Many authors and clinicians have worked on creating treatment programs targeting both disorders, although group format treatment lacks empirical support. Indeed, even though the Seeking Safety program has been shown to be effective in reducing PTSD symptoms and substance use, there is currently no evidence to suggest its superiority.

The ECCCLORE program is a new 6-month cognitive behavioral therapy protocol initially designed for patients with borderline personality disorder, in whom addictive and traumatic issues are common. It is shorter than the standard dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) program, which focuses on emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and the traumatic dimension and lasts at least 1 year. It also integrates techniques from other approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which promotes the acceptance of internal experiences and engagement in actions consistent with values. It notably contains tools for developing emotional, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills that could adapt to the difficulties generated by trauma and addiction. The objective of this research is to test the feasibility and acceptability of a 12-week ECCCLORE program adapted for patients with addictive and traumatic problems. The study investigators hypothesize that the implementation of this program will demonstrate satisfactory feasibility and acceptability.

Conditions

• PTSD
• Addiction
• Substance Use Disorders
• CBT

Interventions

OTHER

ECCCLORE program

2-hour sessions in groups of up to 10 people, once a week for 12 weeks plus 30-minute individual sessions after each group session At the beginning of each session, there will be a discussion about the past week and home practices. This will be followed by an alternation between presentations/explanations of key concepts and associated practices. In the individual sessions the previous session and any difficulties encountered during the group session will be reviewed, as well as to address the implementation of home practices.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Laure Thebault · CHU de Nimes

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-10-31

Primary Completion

2027-03-31

Completion

2027-03-31

Countries

• France

Study Locations