Emotional Regulation in People With Co-occurring Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorder

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Clinical Trial

Official title:

Emotional Regulation in People With Co-occurring Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorder: A Qualitative Study of Individuals Receiving Community Substance Misuse Treatment

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Not yet recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05531318
• Other study ID #: Bowen2022
• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Start date: March 2023
• Est. completion date: October 2024

Study information

• Verified date: September 2022
• Source: King's College London
• Contact: Alice Bowen
• Phone: 07511319855
• Email: alice.m.bowen[@]kcl.ac.uk
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

The aim of this project is to look at emotional regulation in people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD). This study will explore how people with PTSD-SUD regulate their emotions and how this might explain the relationship between these two disorders. In turn, this may inform effective treatment strategies for people with comorbid PTSD-SUD.

Emotional regulation refers to the way in which people process and respond to their emotions. PTSD and SUD commonly cooccur and this is associated with adverse outcomes including high rates of relapse, overdose, and suicide. We therefore need effective treatments to address this clinical concern. Evidence suggests emotional regulation might be important in the development and maintenance of PTSD and SUD and therefore it might be a useful target for treatment. However, most research in this area has been quantitative and has not considered how gender, social circumstances and trauma or substance type might affect the way people regulate their emotions. This study will recruit 40 adults with trauma histories and PTSD who are currently receiving treatment in a community drug and alcohol service for their substance use. Participants will be interviewed to explore how they regulate their emotions and how this relates to their social circumstances. This study will also explore whether gender, substance or trauma type affect the way people regulate their emotions. We hope this will help to improve treatment for people with PTSD and SUD.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Enrollment: 40
• Est. completion date: October 2024
• Est. primary completion date: October 2024
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• • Adults aged 18+

• Receiving treatment from a community substance use service at the time of the study.

• Experienced, witnessed or been confronted with at least one traumatic event (according to PTSD Diagnostic Scale for DSM-5) (PDS-5) (Foa, 2016).

• Participant endorses at least 3 PTSD symptoms from criterion B-E, measured using the PDS-5.

• Able to communicate and understand English sufficiently to engage in a qualitative interview.

Exclusion Criteria:

• • Staff recommend the individual should not take part in the study

• The individual is unable to provide informed consent

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Disease
• Emotional Regulation
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
• Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
• Stress Disorders, Traumatic
• Substance Use Disorders
• Substance-Related Disorders

Intervention

Other:
• Qualitative Interview
Participants will be interviewed about their experiences of substance use, post-traumatic stress and the way they regulate their emotions.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
King's College London	Society for the Study of Addiction

References & Publications (1)

Foa EB, McLean CP, Zang Y, Zhong J, Powers MB, Kauffman BY, Rauch S, Porter K, Knowles K. Psychometric properties of the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale for DSM-5 (PDS-5). Psychol Assess. 2016 Oct;28(10):1166-1171. doi: 10.1037/pas0000258. Epub 2015 Dec 21. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Qualitative interview accounts	Semi-structured interviews will be used	November 2022 - October 2024