An Integrated Transdiagnostic Approach for Veterans With Co-occurring Anxiety, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and...

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, and alcohol use disorders commonly co-occur among veterans, resulting in greater impairment in the quality of life and other health outcomes than single disorders. Despite the availability of evidence-based psychotherapies, including integrated treatments addressing both anxiety/PTSD and alcohol use, treating comorbid disorders remains challenging. Leveraging providers' skills through modular, adjunctive materials focused on alcohol use might improve their ability to provide transdiagnostic care. Veterans (N = 6) with alcohol use disorder and anxiety and/or PTSD were recruited for an open pilot trial of Bridging the Gap, an adjunctive cognitive-behavioral manual used with the Unified Protocol. Pre- and posttreatment indicators of clinical impact, feasibility, and acceptability were examined; three cases illustrate the delivery of the clinical materials. Small-to-large effects for anxiety and PTSD outcomes and small effects for alcohol outcomes were observed. Bridging the Gap can support providers in delivering key elements of transdiagnostic care.