Brief Eclectic Psychotherapy for PTSD - a Randomized Controlled Trial

Participants are randomly assigned to either 16 sessions of Brief Eclectic Psychotherapy (Gersons et al. (2000) Journal Trauma Stress 13: 333-348), comprising psychoeducation, exposure, mementos and writing assignments, domain of meaning and integration, farewell ritual, or a minimal attention control group that will be offered 16 sessions of BEP after a waiting time of four months. Participants in the minimal attention control group receive monthly telephone calls and complete a symptom self monitoring diary (Tarrier, N. et al. (1999) Behavior Therapy 30: 597-605) for three weeks.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Brief Eclectic Psychotherapy for PTSD

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Switzerland
  • Zurich, Switzerland, 8091
    • Psychiatric Department, University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 70 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Clear memory of an "index" traumatic event (sufficient for constructing a scene to be used in exposure) that occurred no less than six months prior to entering the trial (Montgomery and Bech 2000)
• PTSD according to the DSM-IV, related to the index traumatic event, as measured with the CAPS: frequency ≥ 1 and intensity ≥ 2 for a symptom to be counted plus a minimum level of overall severity ≥ 50
• Not receiving other psychotherapy for PTSD during the 16 weeks of active treatment; psychotherapy for other problems, brief check-ins with an existing therapist, and attendance at self-help groups will be allowed
• If on psychoactive medication: on a stable medication regimen for a minimum of two months prior to entering the trial
• Aged between 18 and 70 years
• Sufficient proficiency in the German language to participate in BEP
• Consent to be randomized into the trial

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current psychotic, bipolar, substance-related, or severe personality disorder
• Current severe depressive disorder
• Severe cognitive impairment or a history of organic mental disorder
• Evidence of PTSD or depression immediately prior to the index trauma
• Ongoing threat of traumatic exposure
• Prominent current suicidal or homicidal ideation
• Asylum seeking status

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL
• Masking: SINGLE

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Treatment group; 16 sessions Brief Eclectic Psychotherapy	Behavioral: Brief Eclectic Psychotherapy for PTSD; 16 weekly sessions (50min) of Brief Eclectic Psychotherapy for PTSD; Other Names: BEP
PLACEBO_COMPARATOR: Control group; Minimal attention waitlist group	Behavioral: Brief Eclectic Psychotherapy for PTSD; 16 weekly sessions (50min) of Brief Eclectic Psychotherapy for PTSD; Other Names: BEP

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
PTSD symptom severity (CAPS, Blake et al. 1998; Post-therapy / post-waitlist comparison, controlled for baseline scores	Last month

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Ability to work and use of health care facilities	Last months
Comorbidity: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV SCID I (First et al. 1996); Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale HADS (Zigmond and Snaith 1983)	Last month
Questions on Life Satisfaction FLZ (Henrich and Herschbach 2000)	Last month
Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory PTCI (Foa et al. 1999)	Last month
Posttraumatic Growth Inventory PGI (Tedeschi and Calhoun 1996)	Since trauma
EEG, event-related potentials: P300	At assessment
Post-therapy / post-waitlist comparison, follow-up at 6month post therapy	Last month

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Zurich
• Collaborators: Swiss National Science Foundation; Herrmann-Klaus-Stiftung, Switzerland; Olga Mayenfisch Stiftung, Zurich, Switzerland; Jubiläumsspende für die Universität Zürich, Switzerland
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Ulrich Schnyder, MD, University of Zurich; Principal Investigator: Lutz Wittmann, MA, University of Zurich

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Schnyder U, Muller J, Maercker A, Wittmann L. Brief eclectic psychotherapy for PTSD: a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Psychiatry. 2011 Apr;72(4):564-6. doi: 10.4088/JCP.10l06247blu. No abstract available.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: April 1, 2004
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): May 1, 2009
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): December 1, 2009

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 23, 2006
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 23, 2006
• First Posted (ESTIMATE): May 25, 2006

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE): January 20, 2010
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 19, 2010
• Last Verified: January 1, 2010

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
• Other Study ID Numbers: 3200BO-102204