The Use of a Brief Family Intervention to Reduce Dropout Among Veterans in Individual Trauma ‐Focused Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial

AbstractDropout from trauma ‐focused treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) represents a daunting challenge for the field, particularly among military and veteran samples. Family involvement may help to increase the effectiveness of PTSD treatment while also improving retention. We tested a two‐session brief fa mily intervention (BFI) protocol delivered as an adjunct to individual trauma‐focused treatment among a sample of 20 veteran–family member dyads (N = 40). Willingness to participate in the family ‐inclusive protocol was high, with over 85% of veterans and family members who were screened agreeing to take part. All enrolled veterans were beginning a course of either cognitive processing therapy (CPT) or prolonged exposure (PE), delivered in outpatient Veterans Affairs clinics. Family member s were randomized to either receive or not receive the BFI from study clinicians. In the BFI condition, 20.0% of veterans dropped out of CPT/PE before the 16‐week study end; the remainder were either still attending on‐protocol sessions or had completed the full protocol. In the control conditio n, 40.0% of veterans dropped out of CPT/PE before the end of the study. Observed significant, large‐magnitude decreases in PTSD symptoms over time did not differ by condition, ESsg range = −1.12 to −2.04. Accommodation did not significantly decrease over time in either condition, ESsg range = 0.18 to −0.98. The BFI represents a promising option for veterans, ...
Source: Journal of Traumatic Stress - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research