Does complex PTSD predict or moderate treatment outcomes of three variants of exposure therapy?

Chris M Hoeboer; Rianne A de Kleine; Danielle A C Oprel; Maartje Schoorl; Willem van der Does; Agnes van Minnen

doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2021.102388

Does complex PTSD predict or moderate treatment outcomes of three variants of exposure therapy?

J Anxiety Disord. 2021 May:80:102388. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2021.102388. Epub 2021 Mar 22.

Authors

Chris M Hoeboer¹, Rianne A de Kleine², Danielle A C Oprel³, Maartje Schoorl⁴, Willem van der Does⁵, Agnes van Minnen⁶

Affiliations

¹ Leiden University, Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden, the Netherlands; Parnassiagroep, PsyQ The Hague, the Netherlands. Electronic address: c.m.hoeboer@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.
² Leiden University, Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden, the Netherlands. Electronic address: r.a.de.kleine@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.
³ Leiden University, Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden, the Netherlands; Parnassiagroep, PsyQ The Hague, the Netherlands. Electronic address: d.oprel@psyq.nl.
⁴ Leiden University, Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden, the Netherlands. Electronic address: m.schoorl@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.
⁵ Leiden University, Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden, the Netherlands; Parnassiagroep, PsyQ The Hague, the Netherlands; Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Leiden, the Netherlands. Electronic address: vanderdoes@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.
⁶ PSYTREC, Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Radboud University, Behavioural Science Institute, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: vanminnen@psytrec.com.

PMID: 33831660
DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2021.102388

Abstract

Background: One reason for the inclusion of Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) was its suspected relevance for treatment indications. We investigated whether CPTSD predicted and moderated treatment outcomes of Prolonged Exposure (PE), intensified PE (iPE) and Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation followed by PE (STAIR + PE). We expected that CPTSD would predict worse treatment outcomes across treatments. Secondly, we expected that CPTSD would lead to better treatment effect in STAIR + PE compared to PE and iPE.

Methods: We analyzed 149 patients with childhood-abuse related PTSD from a randomized clinical trial. CPTSD diagnosis and symptom severity were measured with the International Trauma Questionnaire. The main outcome was change in clinician-assessed PTSD symptoms. Assessments took place at baseline, week 4, week 8, week 16 (post-treatment) and at a 6-and 12-month follow-up. Analyses were based on an intention-to-treat sample using mixed effect models.

Results: More than half (54 %) of the patients met criteria for CPTSD at baseline. CPTSD was related to more severe PTSD symptoms and higher comorbidity at baseline. CPTSD neither predicted nor moderated treatment outcome.

Limitations: Inclusion was limited to patients with PTSD related to childhood abuse. Replication is needed in different samples.

Conclusions: CPTSD is associated with more severe PTSD and with higher comorbidity. CPTSD did not predict treatment outcome and did not indicate differential treatment outcome of STAIR + PE compared to PE and iPE.

Keywords: Complex PTSD; Moderator; Predictor; Prolonged exposure; STAIR.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Child
Humans
Implosive Therapy*
International Classification of Diseases
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* / therapy
Surveys and Questionnaires
Treatment Outcome