title: A Pilot Study of Seeking Safety in a Sample of German Women Outpatients with Substance Dependence and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
abstract: Seeking Safety is an integrated coping skills therapy for substance use disorder (SUD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our aim was to examine the effects of Seeking Safety in a sample of female German outpatients with current SUD and PTSD. A total of 53 women were offered 12 weekly sessions of Seeking Safety, conducted in group modality. Women (N=33) who attended at least six sessions were considered minimum-dose completers and were in the analysis. We measured PTSD and substance use symptoms using the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) and the Addiction Severity Index (ASI-Lite) at end-of-treatment and three-month follow-up. Additional measures were the Brief Symptom Checklist (BSI) and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-25). Our sample reported chronic SUD, multiple prior detoxifications, and serious childhood trauma. We found medium to large effect sizes for improvements in PTSD symptoms, general psychopathology, and interpersonal problems at end-of-treatment, all of which were sustained at follow-up. Alcohol use improved significantly only at follow-up. This study suggests that the model was associated with positive effects, at least in a subgroup of women attending a minimum of sessions. Limitations include the lack of a control condition as well as an intention-to-treat analysis.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany; and Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research (CIAR) , University of Hamburg , Hamburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Dorina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grundmann
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany; and Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research (CIAR) , University of Hamburg , Hamburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stubenvoll
authors.affiliation: c DieBoje, Center for Addiction Counselling and Treatment , Hamburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Marita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kosar
authors.affiliation: c DieBoje, Center for Addiction Counselling and Treatment , Hamburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Marita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Junker
authors.affiliation: d Director, Treatment Innovations, Newton Centre, MA; Lecturer, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston , Boston , MA.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Najavits
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany; and Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research (CIAR) , University of Hamburg , Hamburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schäfer
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: addiction; posttraumatic stress disorder; seeking safety; substance abuse; trauma therapy