Written Exposure Therapy for PTSD Integrated with Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills for Cannabis Use Disorder After...

Background/Objectives: The co-occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cannabis use disorder (CUD) symptoms is common following sexual assault, particularly among emerging adult women. CUD is associated with more severe PTSD symptoms and other mental health comorbidities including depression, suicidality, and emotion dysregulation. Addressing these issues concurrently soon after sexual assault could help decrease the risk for downstream negative health outcomes. Integrated trauma-focused interventions for PTSD and co-occurring substance use disorders have been shown to decrease PTSD severity and substance use. Yet, existing protocols are lengthy and have rarely been applied following recent trauma exposure or specifically to address CUD symptoms. Methods: This case series describes the application of Written Exposure Therapy (WET) for PTSD adapted to integrate cognitive-behavioral skills training for substance use among women following recent sexual assault. The adapted integrated intervention, Skills Training and Exposure for PTSD and Substance Misuse (STEPS), was delivered to three emerging adult women (age range = 19-25) who experienced recent sexual assault (weeks since assault range = 1-12 weeks). Results: This case series describes the novel intervention and examines clinical outcomes post-treatment and at the 1-month follow-up. Past-week PTSD symptoms (based on a clinical interview) and past-month cannabis use decreased among all participations after receiving STEPS. Conclusions: Preliminary findings from the case series provide new knowledge and insights regarding the application of STEPS following recent sexual assault among individuals with co-occurring PTSD and CUD. Therapeutic strategies for addressing PTSD and CUD concurrently and implications for future clinical research are discussed.