Dataset Information

The impact of intensive trauma-focused treatment on sexual functioning in individuals with PTSD.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often experience sexual disturbances.

Objective

To determine whether intensive trauma-focused treatment is associated with an improvement in sexual functioning (i.e., sexual satisfaction and sexual desire) in individuals with PTSD.

Method

In total, 227 patients with PTSD (68.7% women, mean age = 40.97) participated in an intensive eight-day trauma-focused treatment program consisting of prolonged exposure, eye movement and desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, physical activity, and psychoeducation. Patients were assessed (i.e., Clinician Administered PTSD Scale and Sexual Functioning Questionnaire) pre- and post-treatment and at 6-months follow-up.

Results

Sexual satisfaction and sexual desire increased significantly associated with trauma-focused treatment from pre-treatment to 6-months follow-up, albeit the effect sizes were small (Cohen's d = 0.39 and 0.17, respectively). Although men reported greater overall sexual desire than women, sexual functioning improved after treatment in both men and women. Furthermore, those with remission of PTSD reported greater sexual functioning post-treatment and at 6-months follow-up, than those without remission. However, changes in PTSD symptoms associated with treatment were not predictive of the level of sexual satisfaction or sexual desire 6 months after treatment.

Conclusion

The results of this uncontrolled study suggest that intensive treatment for PTSD can have beneficial effects on sexual satisfaction and desire in both men and women; however, this may not necessarily be due to a decrease in PTSD symptoms.

SUBMITTER: van Woudenberg C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10442952 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

The impact of intensive trauma-focused treatment on sexual functioning in individuals with PTSD.

van Woudenberg Clair C Voorendonk Eline M EM Tunissen Bo B van Beek Vince H F VHF Rozendael Linda L Van Minnen Agnes A De Jongh Ad A

Frontiers in psychology 20230808

<h4>Background</h4>Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often experience sexual disturbances.<h4>Objective</h4>To determine whether intensive trauma-focused treatment is associated with an improvement in sexual functioning (i.e., sexual satisfaction and sexual desire) in individuals with PTSD.<h4>Method</h4>In total, 227 patients with PTSD (68.7% women, mean age = 40.97) participated in an intensive eight-day trauma-focused treatment program consisting of prolonged exposure, eye ...[more]

PMID: 37614489

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Project description:Objective: The efficacy of trauma-focused cognitive behaviour therapy (tf-CBT) has been well established in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). More research is needed to demonstrate the effectiveness of tf-CBT in routine clinical care settings.Method: Eighty-five patients (68 female) with a primary diagnosis of PTSD received tf-CBT at two German outpatient centres (Münster and Mannheim) between 2014 and 2016. Treatment was delivered mainly by therapists in training and treatment duration was based on symptom course. The treatment consisted of a preparation phase, a trauma-focused phase (comprising imaginal exposure, discrimination training, changing dysfunctional appraisals) and a phase of reclaiming-your-life assignments, and relapse prevention. In an intent-to-treat-analysis (ITT), linear mixed effects models were fitted for self-assessments of traumatic symptom severity using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) and the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5). Potential moderators for treatment outcome, e.g. number of suicide attempts, were investigated.Results: The observed treatment effect was large for both the CAPS-5 (ITT: Cohen's d = 2.07, CI [1.62, 2.51]; completers d = 2.34, CI [1.84, 2.83]) and PCL-5 respectively (ITT: d = 2.02, CI [1.56, 2.48]; completers d = 2.15, CI [1.66, 2.64]), and remained stable six months and one-year post-treatment. N = 27 patients (31.48%) were defined as study dropout and of these, n = 12 (14.12%) dropped out of the study but completed treatment. None of the fixed-effect estimates for treatment predictors interacted significantly with the effect of time.Conclusions: Tf-CBT is well-tolerated and it can be effectively delivered in routine clinical care. Its large treatment effects underline the practicability and benefits of the approach. This trial demonstrates its broad applicability among individuals with diverse patterns of clinical characteristics and comorbidities.

Project description:Background: Suboptimal response and high dropout rates leave room for improvement of trauma-focused treatment (TFT) effectiveness in ameliorating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Objective: To explore the effectiveness and safety of intensive prolonged exposure (iPE) targeting chronic PTSD patients with a likely diagnosis of ICD-11 Complex PTSD following multiple interpersonal trauma and a history of multiple treatment attempts. Method: Participants (N = 73) received iPE in 12 × 90-minute sessions over four days (intensive phase) followed by four weekly 90-minute booster prolonged exposure (PE) sessions (booster phase). The primary outcomes, clinician-rated severity of PTSD symptoms, and diagnostic status (Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale; CAPS-IV) were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and at three and six months. Treatment response trajectories were identified and predictors of these trajectories explored. Results: Mixed model repeated measures analysis of CAPS-IV scores showed a baseline-to-posttreatment decrease in PTSD symptom severity (p < .001) that persisted during the three- and six-month follow-ups with large effect sizes (Cohen's d > 1.2); 71% of the participants responded. None of the participants dropped out during the intensive phase and only 5% during the booster phase. Adverse events were extremely low and only a minority showed symptom exacerbation. Cluster analysis demonstrated four treatment response trajectories: Fast responders (13%), Slow responders (26%), Partial responders (32%), and Non-responders (29%). Living condition and between-session fear habituation were found to predict outcome. Participants living alone were more likely to belong to the Partial responders than to the Non-responders cluster, and participants showing more between-session fear habituation were more likely to belong to the Fast responders than to the Non-responders cluster. Conclusions: The results of this open study suggest that iPE can be effective in PTSD patients with multiple interpersonal trauma and after multiple previous treatment attempts. In addition, in this chronic PTSD population iPE was safe.

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Dataset Information

The impact of intensive trauma-focused treatment on sexual functioning in individuals with PTSD.

Background

Objective

Method

Results

Conclusion

Publications

The impact of intensive trauma-focused treatment on sexual functioning in individuals with PTSD.

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