Understanding and Testing Recovery Processes for PTSD and Alcohol Use Following Sexual Assault

Trial ID or NCT#

NCT04124380

Status

recruiting iconRECRUITING

Purpose

Sexual assault can lead to devastating consequences including the development of chronic conditions including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorders (AUD). Interventions delivered soon after exposure to assault can decrease the long-term negative consequences of sexual assault but existing interventions are limited in their ability to target concurrent PTSD symptoms and alcohol use and little is known about how to make best practice treatment decisions in the early period following sexual assault. A greater emphasis on transdiagnostic processes that are related to both PTSD and alcohol use, such as fear and reward systems, can elucidate mechanisms of recovery, lead to the development of more effective intervention approaches, and guide clinical decision making for patients recently exposed to sexual assault.

Official Title

Understanding and Testing Recovery Processes for PTSD and Alcohol Use Following Sexual Assault

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study: 18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes Eligible for Study: FEMALE
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
Inclusion Criteria:
  1. 1. Identifies as female.2. Between the age of 18 and 65.3. Reports a sexual assault in the last 4 weeks to 1 year.4. Current PTSD severity of 23+ on the PSS-I-5.5. Current heavy alcohol use (2+ heavy episodic drinking occasions \[4+ drinks on one occasion\] in past month).6. Access to the internet and a device with a webcam.
Exclusion Criteria:
  1. 1. Current diagnosis of schizophrenia, delusional disorder, or organic mental disorder as defined by the DSM-5.2. Current diagnosis of bipolar disorder, depression with psychotic features, or depression severe enough to require immediate psychiatric treatment (i.e., serious suicide risk with intent and plan).3. Unwilling or unable to discontinue current trauma-focused psychotherapy or current substance use psychotherapy.4. Unstable dose of psychotropic medications in the prior 3 months.5. Ongoing intimate relationship with the perpetrator of most recent assault.6. Current diagnosis of a severe substance use disorder according to DSM-5, other than alcohol in the last month.7. No clear trauma memory.8. Current higher dose use of benzodiazepines (greater than the equivalent of 4 mg of lorazepam, 2 mg alprazolam, 1.5 mg clonazepam, or 20 mg of diazepam).

Investigator(s)

Debra Lee Kaysen
Debra Lee Kaysen
Psychologist, Psychology, Psychotherapist
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Public Mental Health and Population Sciences)