Pretreatment stabilization increases completion of trauma-focused evidence-based psychotherapies

Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) initiate and complete cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and prolonged exposure (PE) at low rates within Veterans Health Administration (VHA) despite substantial dissemination and training. This study investigated how trauma-informed, skills-based treatment ("stabilization") administered before CPT and PE was related to initiation and completion of trauma-focused evidence-based psychotherapies (TF-EBPs).

Data were extracted from the VHA electronic medical record to identify veterans who initiated outpatient treatment in the PTSD Clinical Team (PCT) at a Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Treatment initiation was defined as three or more PCT visits with no prior PCT care for at least 18 months (N = 341). Before initiation of TF-EBP, veterans received either no stabilization or received individual and/or group stabilization.

Twenty-eight percent of veterans without stabilization (n = 115) initiated TF-EBP, compared with 34% of veterans who completed individual-only stabilization (n = 82), and 10% of veterans who completed group-only stabilization (n = 29, p = .050). Compared with those with no stabilization, individual stabilization was associated with significantly higher TF-EBP completion (93% vs. 50%, p < .001). CPT completion was also significantly higher for veterans who received individual-only stabilization (90% vs. 43%, p = .001). Results for PE followed the same relationship, but did not reach significance (100% vs. 67%, p = .090).

Findings suggest that individual stabilization may improve delivery of TF-EBPs in VHA settings by increasing TF-EBP completion without reducing initiation, while pretreatment with group-only stabilization may reduce initiation of TF-EBPs. Results inform how models of care can improve TF-EBP retention and completion among veterans with PTSD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).