| Literature DB >> 34262669 |
Lucy R Purnell1, Alicia C J Graham1, Michael A P Bloomfield1,2,3,4,5, Jo Billings1.
Abstract
Background: Clinical guidelines recommend a phase-based approach to treatment for complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), yet little is known about what interventions are being offered and which may be effective in the final 'reintegration' phase. Objective: To systematically review literature on reintegration interventions for CPTSD, describing the nature and effectiveness of interventions. Method: We searched four electronic databases (Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, and PTSDpubs) for interventions aiming to facilitate reintegration for participants with probable CPTSD. We had two aims: firstly, to describe the interventions and secondly, to describe their effectiveness as measured through measures of reintegration, PTSD and/or disturbances in self-organization (DSO), or qualitative data describing changes experienced. Results are presented using narrative synthesis.Entities:
Keywords: CPTSD; phase-based; reintegration; systematic review; treatment
Mesh:
Year: 2021 PMID: 34262669 PMCID: PMC8259860 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2021.1934789
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Eur J Psychotraumatol ISSN: 2000-8066
Figure 1.PRISMA diagram of search strategy
Characteristics and baseline demographics of included studies
| Author (year), country | Trauma type | Study design (Level of Evidence) | Intervention and control group | Age, mean (SD) | Female, | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| van der Kolk et al. ( | Childhood abuse | RCT (2) | Yoga | 32 | 41.5 (12.2) | 32 (100%) |
| Women’s health education | 32 | 44.3 (11.9) | 32 (100%) | |||
| Kirk ( | Mixed1 | RCT (2) | Physical exercise | 20 | 47.33 (10.42) | 20 (100%) |
| WL/yoga | 14 | 45.8 (14.47) | 14 (100%) | |||
| Langer Ellison, Reilly, Mueller, Schultz, and Drebing ( | Military | RCT (2) | Education support | 17 | 29.31 (3.92) | 5 (16.13%) |
| Generalized support | 16 | |||||
| Nordbrandt, Sonne, Mortensen, and Carlsson ( | Mixed1 | RCT (2) | Basic body awareness therapy | 105 | 43.1 (10.7) | 56 (53.3%) |
| Physical exercise | 109 | 44.6 (9.5) | 55 (50.5) | |||
| TAU | 104 | 46.2 (10.4) | 57 (54.8%) | |||
| Bergen-Cico et al. ( | Military | Non-randomized controlled study & qualitative (4) | Service dog | 31 | 41 (12) | 0 |
| WL | 14 | 43 (11) | 0 | |||
| O’Haire and Rodriguez ( | Military | Non-randomized controlled study (4) | Service dog | 75 | 37.0 (8.5) | 15 (20%) |
| WL | 66 | 37.3 (8.1) | 16 (24.2%) | |||
| David, Simpson, and Cotton ( | Military sexual assault | Single group quantitative (4) | Self-defence training | 12 | 48.3 (9.72) | 12 (100%) |
| Munsey, Miller, and Rugg ( | Sex trafficking | Single group quantitative (4) | Residential treatment | 11 | 24 (4.05) | 11 (100%) |
| Jindani and Khalsa ( | Mixed1 | Qualitative (4) | Yoga | 40 | 44.7 (11.2) | 31 (77.5%) |
| Rhodes ( | Childhood abuse | Qualitative (4) | Yoga | 39 | 41 (NR) | 39 (100%) |
| Madsen, Carlsson, Nordbrandt, and Jensen ( | Mixed1 | Qualitative (4) | Physical exercise | 3 | 40 (12.5) | 2 (66%) |
| West, Liang, and Spinazzola ( | Childhood abuse | Qualitative (4) | Yoga | 31 | 41.5 (12.2) | 31 (100%) |
| Yarborough, Stumbo, Yarborough, Owen-Smith, and Green ( | Military | Qualitative (4) | Service dog | 41 | 45 (11.9) | 14 (31.1%) |
| Matheson and Weightman ( | Childhood abuse | Qualitative (4) | Patient involvement in research | 6 | 50.5 (12.8) | 4 (66.67%) |
| Busuttil ( | Childhood abuse | Case series (4) | Residential treatment | 25 | 26.2 (NR) | 22 (88%) |
NR = not reported; TAU = treatment as usual; WL = waitlist
1See Supplementary Material for description of traumas experienced by sample
PTSD and CPTSD measure or CPTSD diagnosis used in each study
| PTSD measure/ | CPTSD diagnostic system | 1) Trauma type | 2) DSO criteria | 3) Severity | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reference | Intervention group DSO criteria (measure, mean score (SD)) | Normative score (SD), population (reference) | Measure | Cut-off used in study | Standard clinical cut-off | Baseline study intervention sample mean (SD) | |||
| van der Kolk et al. ( | DSM-IV | / | C | AD (IASC-AD, 76.69 (14.83)) | 11.24 (4.42), GP (Briere and Runtz, | CAPS | / | CAPS scoring rules | 73.94 (20.83) |
| Kirk et al. ( | DSM-IV | / | / | AD (DERS, 96.3 (NR)) | 77.99 (20.72), female students (Gratz and Roemer, | PDS | NR | 21–35 moderate to severe | 32.5 (13.3) |
| Langer Ellison et al. ( | DSM-IV/5 | / | C | / | / | PCL | NR | 38 | 59.8 (16.38) |
| Nordbrandt et al. ( | ICD-10 | / | C | / | / | HTQ | / | 1.75 | 3.17 (0.04) |
| Bergen-Cico et al. ( | PCL-M | / | C | DR (SCS-SF isolation subscale, 4.1 (0.8)) | / | PCL-M | 36 | 38 | 63.9 (9.2) |
| O’Haire and Rodriguez ( | Clinical diagnosis/PCL | / | C | / | / | PCL | 50 | 38 | 69.4 (8.8) |
| David et al. ( | DSM-IV | / | C | NSC (GSES, 25.1 (7.3)) | 29.28 (4.6),GP (Schwarzer, | PCL-C | 38 | 38 | 74.9 (11.8) |
| Munsey et al. ( | PCL-C | / | C | NSC (RSES, 12.45 (NR)) | 22.62 (5.80), GP (Sinclair et al., | PCL-C | 40 | 38 | NR |
| Jindani and Khalsa ( | PCL-17 | / | / | / | / | PCL-17 | 57 | 38 | NR |
| Rhodes ( | CAPS | / | C | / | / | CAPS | NR | CAPS scoring rules | NR |
| Madsen et al. ( | ICD-10 | / | C | / | / | / | / | / | / |
| West et al. ( | CAPS | / | C | / | / | CAPS | 45 | CAPS scoring rules | 73.94 (20.8) |
| Yarborough et al. ( | Clinical diagnosis + PCL-C | / | C | / | / | PCL-C | NR | / | NR |
| Matheson and Weightman ( | / | ICD-11 | C | / | / | / | / | / | / |
| Busuttil ( | DSM-IV | / | C | DR: (CAPS social subscale, 3.9 (0.3)) | Clinical threshold = above 3 (Weathers et al., | CAPS | / | CAPS scoring rules | 51.1 (6.5) |
AD = affect dysregulation; C = complex (repeated/multiple/sustained trauma type); CAPS = clinician administered PTSD scale; DR = relationship disturbances; DRES = Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale; GP = general population; GSES = General Self-Efficacy Scale; IASC-AD = Inventory of Altered Self-Capacities affect dysregulation scale; NR = not reported; NSC = negative self-concept; RSES = Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale; SCS = Self-Compassion Scale
CASP quality ratings
| 1. Clarity of research aims | 2. Appropriateness of qualitative methodology | 3. Appropriateness of research design | 4. Appropriateness of recruitment strategy | 5. Data collection appropriateness for research issue | 6. Consideration of the relationship between researcher and participants | 7. Ethical considerations | 8. Sufficiently rigorous data analysis | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jindani and Khalsa ( | T | T | T | P | T | P | T | T |
| Rhodes ( | T | T | T | T | T | T | P | T |
| Madsen et al. ( | T | T | T | T | T | N | T | T |
| West et al. ( | T | T | T | T | T | N | T | T |
| Yarborough et al. ( | T | T | T | P | T | N | P | T |
| Matheson and Weightman ( | T | T | T | P | T | T | T | T |
| Busuttil ( | P | T | T | T | T | N | N | N |
| Bergen-Cico et al. ( | T | T | T | T | T | N | T | T |
T = totally met, P = partially met, N = not met
The EPHPP global rating of quantitative studies was low with all studies scoring as weak, except Nordbrandt et al. (2020) which was scored moderate. Individual ratings are reported in Table 4.
EPHPP quality ratings
| Reference | Selection bias | Study design | Confounders | Blinding | Data collection | Drop out | Global rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| van der Kolk et al. ( | S | S | W | M | W | S | W |
| Kirk et al. ( | S | S | W | W | S | W | W |
| Langer Ellison et al. ( | S | S | W | W | W | M | W |
| Nordbrandt et al. ( | S | S | W | M | S | M | M |
| Bergen-Cico et al. ( | W | S | W | W | S | S | W |
| O’Haire and Rodriguez ( | W | S | W | W | M | S | W |
| David et al. ( | W | W | N/A | N/A | W | S | W |
| Munsey et al. ( | W | W | N/A | N/A | S | W | W |
W – weak, M – moderate, S – strong, N/A – domain is not appropriate to be assessed for this study design.
N.b. Ratings reflect the designs used to measure reintegration (not the overall study design).
Characteristics of the included reintegration interventions
| Reference | Groups included | Intervention followed phase 1 and 2? | Intervention followed phase 2? | Sessions offered | Time point of data collection | Measure(s) evaluated | Primary data interpretation method | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| van der Kolk et al. | Yoga | - | ✓ | 10 (1 hr, 2.5 mths) | B, M (week 5), P | - | Hierarchical linear and nonlinear modelling | |
| Control | IASC-AD | |||||||
| Kirk ( | Physical exercise | - | - | 8 (1.5 hr, 2 mths) | B, P | - | DERS | ANOVA |
| Control | ||||||||
| Langer Ellison et al. ( | Education support | - | - | 24 (1 hour, 6 mths) | B, M and P (6–10 weeks) | Time on educational activities | - | Least squares regression |
| Control | 24 (1 hour, 6 mths) | |||||||
| Nordbrandt et al. ( | Physical exercise | ✓ | 20 (1 hr, 5 mths) | B, P | ||||
| Control | - | 20 (1 hr, 5 mths) | WHO-5 | Mixed model analyses | ||||
| Control | 20 (1 hr, 6–7 mths) | - | ||||||
| Bergen-Cico et al. ( | Service dog | - | - | V | B, P | SCS-SFQualitative question | Paired-sample | |
| Control | N/A | - | ||||||
| O’Haire and Rodriguez ( | Service dog | - | 15 (12 hr, 3 weeks) | B, P | BSPWSWLS | - | Linear mixed effects models | |
| Control | - | N/A | ||||||
| David et al. ( | Self-defence | - | - | 12 (3 hr, 3 mnths) | B, P (3 and 6 months) | - | GSES | Within-subject paired |
| Munsey et al. ( | Residential treatment | - | - | V | B, P | - | RSES | Chi-squared test |
| Jindani and Khalsa ( | Yoga | - | - | 8 (1.5 hr, 2 mnths) | P (1 week) | Interview | - | Thematic analysis |
| Rhodes ( | Yoga | - | ✓ | 10 (1 hr, 2.5 mnths) | P (8 weeks) | Interview | - | Hermeneutic phenomenological analysis |
| Madsen et al. ( | Physical exercise | - | ✓ | 20 (1 hr, 5 mnths) | P | Interview | - | Systematic text condensation |
| West et al. ( | Yoga | - | ✓ | 10 (1 hr, 2.5 mnths) | P (8 weeks) | - | Content analysis | |
| Yarborough et al. ( | Service dog | - | - | V | P | - | Thematic analysis | |
| Matheson and Weightman ( | Patient involvement in research | - | ✓ | Not reported | P | - | Thematic analysis | |
| Busuttil | Residential treatment | ✓ | - | 30 (12 hr, 1.5 mnths) | B and P (6 weeks, 6 months and 1 year) | - | / | |
B = baseline; BSPW = Bradburn Scale of Psychological Wellbeing; DRES = Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale; GSES = General Self-Efficacy Scale; IASC-AD = Inventory of Altered Self-Capacities affect dysregulation scale; M = mid-intervention; P = post-intervention; PRO = Patient-Reported Outcomes; RSES = Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale; SCS = Self-Compassion Scale Short Form; SWLS = Satisfaction With Life Scale; TAU = treatment as usual; V = varied between participants; WHO-5 = WHO-5 Well-being Index;WL = waitlist
Summary of changes in measure(s) of reintegration pre- to post-intervention
| Reference | Measure | Baseline intervention group mean (SD) | Post- intervention group mean (SD) | Difference pre- to post-intervention | Difference between intervention and control groups |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Langer Ellison et al. ( | Time on educational activities | NR | NR | ||
| Nordbrandt et al. ( | WHO-5 | 16.82 (NR) | 23.52 (NR) | No significant difference | |
| Bergen-Cico et al. ( | SCS-SF | 4.7 (1.4) | 5.2 (1) | No significant difference | |
| O’Haire and Rodriguez ( | BSPW | NR | −0.9 (2.5) | NR |
*p < .05 **p < .01
Summary of changes in measure(s) of DSO symptoms pre- to post-intervention
| Reference | Measure | Baseline intervention group mean (SD) | Post- intervention group mean (SD) | Difference pre- to post-intervention | Difference between intervention and control groups |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| van der Kolk et al. ( | IASC-AD | 76.69 (14.83) | 68.88 (13.31) | No significant difference | |
| Kirk et al. ( | DERS | 96.3 (16.5) | 78.8 (19.9) | No significant difference | |
| David et al. ( | GSES | 25.1 (7.3) | 30.5 (6.0) | No significant difference | No control |
| Munsey et al. ( | RSES | NR | NR | No control |
*p < .05 **p < .01
Summary of changes in PTSD scores pre- to post-intervention
| Reference | PTSD measure | Baseline intervention group mean (SD) | Post- intervention group mean (SD) | Difference pre- to post-intervention | Difference between intervention and control groups post-intervention |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| van der Kolk et al. ( | CAPS | 73.94 (20.83) | 49.48 (25.16) | ||
| Kirk et al. ( | PDS | 32.5 (13.3) | 22.5 (9.0) | NR | |
| Langer Ellison et al. ( | PCL | 59.8 (16.38) | NR | NR | NR |
| Nordbrandt et al. ( | HTQ | 3.17 (0.04) | 3.00 (0.07) | ||
| Bergen-Cico et al. ( | PCL-M | 63.9 (9.2) | 60 (8.8) | ||
| O’Haire and Rodriguez ( | PCL | 69.4 (8.8) | 58.2 (13.1) | ||
| David et al. ( | PCL-C | 74.9 (11.8) | 57.6 (24.9) | No significant difference | No control |
| Munsey et al. ( | PCL-C | NR | NR | No control | |
| West et al. ( | CAPS | 73.94 (20.83) | 49.48 (25.16) | NR | No control |
| Busuttil ( | CAPS | 51.1 (6.5) | 28.8 (13.1) | No control |
*p < .05 **p < .01
†Difference between DMT and waitlist control
Summary of themes from qualitative outcomes reported as effective for reintegration
| Reference | Facilitated connection with self | Facilitated connection with others | Enhanced wellbeing | Career changes | Increased self-care | Emotion regulation | Empowerment | Increased sense of self-worth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jindani and Khalsa ( | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ― | ― |
| Rhodes ( | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ― | ✓ | ✓ | ― | ― |
| Madsen et al. ( | ✓ | ✓ | ― | ― | ― | ✓ | ― | ― |
| West et al. ( | ✓ | ✓ | ― | ― | ✓ | ― | ✓ | ― |
| Yarborough et al. ( | ― | ✓ | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― | ✓ |
| Matheson and Weightman ( | ― | ✓ | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― | ✓ |
| Busuttil ( | ― | ― | ― | ✓ | ― | ― | ― | ― |
| Bergen-Cico et al. ( | ― | ✓ | ✓ | ― | ― | ― | ✓ | ― |
✓ Theme reported
― Theme not reported