A Pilot Study of Seeking Safety in a Sample of German Women Outpatients with Substance Dependence and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

TY - JOUR

T1 - A Pilot Study of Seeking Safety in a Sample of German Women Outpatients with Substance Dependence and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

AU - Kaiser, Dorina

AU - Grundmann, Johanna

AU - Schulze, Claudia

AU - Stubenvoll, Martina

AU - Kosar, Marita

AU - Junker, Marita

AU - Najavits, Lisa M

AU - Schäfer, Ingo

PY - 2015/10/31

Y1 - 2015/10/31

N2 - Seeking Safety is an integrated coping skills therapy for substance use disorder (SUD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our aim was to examine the effects of Seeking Safety in a sample of female German outpatients with current SUD and PTSD. A total of 53 women were offered 12 weekly sessions of Seeking Safety, conducted in group modality. Women (N = 33) who attended at least six sessions were considered minimum-dose completers and were in the analysis. We measured PTSD and substance use symptoms using the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) and the Addiction Severity Index (ASI-Lite) at end-of-treatment and three-month follow-up. Additional measures were the Brief Symptom Checklist (BSI) and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-25). Our sample reported chronic SUD, multiple prior detoxifications, and serious childhood trauma. We found medium to large effect sizes for improvements in PTSD symptoms, general psychopathology, and interpersonal problems at end-of-treatment, all of which were sustained at follow-up. Alcohol use improved significantly only at follow-up. This study suggests that the model was associated with positive effects, at least in a subgroup of women attending a minimum of sessions. Limitations include the lack of a control condition as well as an intention-to-treat analysis.

AB - Seeking Safety is an integrated coping skills therapy for substance use disorder (SUD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our aim was to examine the effects of Seeking Safety in a sample of female German outpatients with current SUD and PTSD. A total of 53 women were offered 12 weekly sessions of Seeking Safety, conducted in group modality. Women (N = 33) who attended at least six sessions were considered minimum-dose completers and were in the analysis. We measured PTSD and substance use symptoms using the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) and the Addiction Severity Index (ASI-Lite) at end-of-treatment and three-month follow-up. Additional measures were the Brief Symptom Checklist (BSI) and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-25). Our sample reported chronic SUD, multiple prior detoxifications, and serious childhood trauma. We found medium to large effect sizes for improvements in PTSD symptoms, general psychopathology, and interpersonal problems at end-of-treatment, all of which were sustained at follow-up. Alcohol use improved significantly only at follow-up. This study suggests that the model was associated with positive effects, at least in a subgroup of women attending a minimum of sessions. Limitations include the lack of a control condition as well as an intention-to-treat analysis.

U2 - 10.1080/02791072.2015.1090644

DO - 10.1080/02791072.2015.1090644

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 26514284

VL - 47

SP - 401

EP - 408

JO - J PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS

JF - J PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS

SN - 0279-1072

IS - 5

ER -