A randomized trial of self-management and psychoeducational group therapies for comorbid chronic posttraumatic stress disorder and depressive disorder

✍ Scribed by Nancy Jo Dunn; Lynn P. Rehm; Jeanne Schillaci; Julianne Souchek; Paras Mehta; Carol M. Ashton; Elisia Yanasak; Joseph D. Hamilton

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 209 KB
• Volume: 20
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0894-9867
• DOI: 10.1002/jts.20214

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The authors randomized 101 male veterans with chronic combat‐related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive disorder to an evidence‐based depression treatment (self‐management therapy; n = 51) or active‐control therapy (n = 50). Main outcome measures for efficacy, using intention‐to‐treat analyses, were subjective and objective PTSD and depression scales at pretest, posttest, and 3‐, 6‐, and 12‐month follow‐up. Other measures included treatment compliance, satisfaction, treatment‐targeted constructs, functioning, service utilization, and costs. Self‐management therapy's modestly greater improvement on depression symptoms at treatment completion disappeared on follow‐up. No other differences on symptoms or functioning appeared, although psychiatric outpatient utilization and overall outpatient costs were lower with self‐management therapy. Despite success in other depressed populations, self‐management therapy produced no clinically significant effect in depression with chronic PTSD.