Psychological treatment of PTSD with comorbid substance use disorder (SUD): expert recommendations of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS)

ABSTRACTBackground: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD) are often comorbid and difficult to treat. The availability of evidence-based treatment guidelines is very limited and there is significant uncertainty about what best practice looks like.Objective: This paper...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Neil P. Roberts, Annett Lotzin, Ingo Schäfer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2023-11-01
Series:European Journal of Psychotraumatology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/20008066.2023.2265773
_version_ 1797660565932343296
author Neil P. Roberts
Annett Lotzin
Ingo Schäfer
author_facet Neil P. Roberts
Annett Lotzin
Ingo Schäfer
author_sort Neil P. Roberts
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACTBackground: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD) are often comorbid and difficult to treat. The availability of evidence-based treatment guidelines is very limited and there is significant uncertainty about what best practice looks like.Objective: This paper describes the methodology used to develop expert recommendations for the assessment and psychological treatment of PTSD and comorbid SUD and presents the final recommendations.Methodology: A small committee of experts in the field of PTSD and SUD was formed on behalf of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS) Board. The committee developed recommendations based on a two-stage process. In the first stage a systematic review of randomised controlled trials of psychological interventions aimed at treating PTSD-SUD comorbidity was completed, and other recent relevant reviews systematic were also considered. To complement the recommendations based on systematic review, the second stage involved the review and collation of existing guidance, good practice and consensus recommendations made in methodologically rigorous clinical practice guidelines.Results: The two-stage process resulted in 9 recommendations related to assessment and 21 recommendations related to treatment planning and delivery.Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to provide expert recommendations based on a systematic review of the literature and through collation of guidance provided in other authoritative and reliable sources. These expert recommendations will provide helpful guidance to clinicians and service providers in both addiction and mental health settings about appropriate clinical care for those with PTSD SUD comorbidity.
first_indexed 2024-03-11T18:32:44Z
format Article
id doaj.art-3fc135a9467e47b785af37bac1a4d36e
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2000-8066
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-11T18:32:44Z
publishDate 2023-11-01
publisher Taylor & Francis Group
record_format Article
series European Journal of Psychotraumatology
spelling doaj.art-3fc135a9467e47b785af37bac1a4d36e2023-10-13T09:17:34ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of Psychotraumatology2000-80662023-11-0114210.1080/20008066.2023.2265773Psychological treatment of PTSD with comorbid substance use disorder (SUD): expert recommendations of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS)Neil P. Roberts0Annett Lotzin1Ingo Schäfer2Cardiff & Vale University Health Board, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UKCenter for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyCenter for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyABSTRACTBackground: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD) are often comorbid and difficult to treat. The availability of evidence-based treatment guidelines is very limited and there is significant uncertainty about what best practice looks like.Objective: This paper describes the methodology used to develop expert recommendations for the assessment and psychological treatment of PTSD and comorbid SUD and presents the final recommendations.Methodology: A small committee of experts in the field of PTSD and SUD was formed on behalf of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS) Board. The committee developed recommendations based on a two-stage process. In the first stage a systematic review of randomised controlled trials of psychological interventions aimed at treating PTSD-SUD comorbidity was completed, and other recent relevant reviews systematic were also considered. To complement the recommendations based on systematic review, the second stage involved the review and collation of existing guidance, good practice and consensus recommendations made in methodologically rigorous clinical practice guidelines.Results: The two-stage process resulted in 9 recommendations related to assessment and 21 recommendations related to treatment planning and delivery.Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to provide expert recommendations based on a systematic review of the literature and through collation of guidance provided in other authoritative and reliable sources. These expert recommendations will provide helpful guidance to clinicians and service providers in both addiction and mental health settings about appropriate clinical care for those with PTSD SUD comorbidity.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/20008066.2023.2265773PTSDsubstance use disorderalcohol use disordercomorbiditypsychological treatmentTEPT
spellingShingle Neil P. Roberts
Annett Lotzin
Ingo Schäfer
Psychological treatment of PTSD with comorbid substance use disorder (SUD): expert recommendations of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS)
European Journal of Psychotraumatology
PTSD
substance use disorder
alcohol use disorder
comorbidity
psychological treatment
TEPT
title Psychological treatment of PTSD with comorbid substance use disorder (SUD): expert recommendations of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS)
title_full Psychological treatment of PTSD with comorbid substance use disorder (SUD): expert recommendations of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS)
title_fullStr Psychological treatment of PTSD with comorbid substance use disorder (SUD): expert recommendations of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS)
title_full_unstemmed Psychological treatment of PTSD with comorbid substance use disorder (SUD): expert recommendations of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS)
title_short Psychological treatment of PTSD with comorbid substance use disorder (SUD): expert recommendations of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS)
title_sort psychological treatment of ptsd with comorbid substance use disorder sud expert recommendations of the european society for traumatic stress studies estss
topic PTSD
substance use disorder
alcohol use disorder
comorbidity
psychological treatment
TEPT
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/20008066.2023.2265773
work_keys_str_mv AT neilproberts psychologicaltreatmentofptsdwithcomorbidsubstanceusedisordersudexpertrecommendationsoftheeuropeansocietyfortraumaticstressstudiesestss
AT annettlotzin psychologicaltreatmentofptsdwithcomorbidsubstanceusedisordersudexpertrecommendationsoftheeuropeansocietyfortraumaticstressstudiesestss
AT ingoschafer psychologicaltreatmentofptsdwithcomorbidsubstanceusedisordersudexpertrecommendationsoftheeuropeansocietyfortraumaticstressstudiesestss