Implementing group therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder within a primary care setting: A pilot study
Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with comorbid psychiatric and medical conditions and high rates of medical service utilization. Given that PTSD is highly prevalent in the primary care setting, group therapy delivered within this setting has the potential to treat large...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Affective Disorders Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915324001422 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850117407091195904 |
|---|---|
| author | Kate Zona Hsiang Huang Margaret Spottswood |
| author_facet | Kate Zona Hsiang Huang Margaret Spottswood |
| author_sort | Kate Zona |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with comorbid psychiatric and medical conditions and high rates of medical service utilization. Given that PTSD is highly prevalent in the primary care setting, group therapy delivered within this setting has the potential to treat large numbers of patients. To date, few studies have examined the feasibility or effectiveness of group therapy for PTSD within primary care. Methods: A pilot study of a PTSD group therapy intervention based on the Trauma Information Group model was conducted in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Across 9 cohorts, 32 individuals with PTSD completed 8–10 group therapy sessions. Self-reported PTSD severity was assessed using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) at baseline and post-treatment. Results: Fifty percent of participants had a PTSD treatment response (PCL-5 score reduction ≥10) following group therapy and paired t-tests demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in PCL-5 scores from pre- to post-treatment. Patient demographic characteristics and psychiatric comorbities were not associated with treatment response. Limitations: The small sample size, demographic characteristics, and FQHC setting potentially limit the generalizability of these findings. Treatment dropout rates and associated factors also were not examined. Conclusions: The Trauma Information Group treatment for PTSD was feasible to implement within a low resourced primary care setting and led to improvement in PTSD symptoms in this pilot study. These findings suggest that offering group therapy for PTSD within primary care could improve access to effective treatment and warrant future research to examine feasibility and effectiveness in this setting. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5dfd7fd0cbe34b32a163136453cff712 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2666-9153 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Affective Disorders Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-5dfd7fd0cbe34b32a163136453cff7122025-08-20T02:36:06ZengElsevierJournal of Affective Disorders Reports2666-91532025-01-011910085610.1016/j.jadr.2024.100856Implementing group therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder within a primary care setting: A pilot studyKate Zona0Hsiang Huang1Margaret Spottswood2Cambridge Health Alliance, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge, MA, United States; Corresponding author at: Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance, 1493 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States.Cambridge Health Alliance, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge, MA, United StatesCommunity Health Centers of Burlington, Burlington, VT, United States; University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, United StatesBackground: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with comorbid psychiatric and medical conditions and high rates of medical service utilization. Given that PTSD is highly prevalent in the primary care setting, group therapy delivered within this setting has the potential to treat large numbers of patients. To date, few studies have examined the feasibility or effectiveness of group therapy for PTSD within primary care. Methods: A pilot study of a PTSD group therapy intervention based on the Trauma Information Group model was conducted in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Across 9 cohorts, 32 individuals with PTSD completed 8–10 group therapy sessions. Self-reported PTSD severity was assessed using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) at baseline and post-treatment. Results: Fifty percent of participants had a PTSD treatment response (PCL-5 score reduction ≥10) following group therapy and paired t-tests demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in PCL-5 scores from pre- to post-treatment. Patient demographic characteristics and psychiatric comorbities were not associated with treatment response. Limitations: The small sample size, demographic characteristics, and FQHC setting potentially limit the generalizability of these findings. Treatment dropout rates and associated factors also were not examined. Conclusions: The Trauma Information Group treatment for PTSD was feasible to implement within a low resourced primary care setting and led to improvement in PTSD symptoms in this pilot study. These findings suggest that offering group therapy for PTSD within primary care could improve access to effective treatment and warrant future research to examine feasibility and effectiveness in this setting.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915324001422Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)TraumaGroup therapyPrimary care behavioral health integration (PCBHI)Federally qualified health center (FQHC) |
| spellingShingle | Kate Zona Hsiang Huang Margaret Spottswood Implementing group therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder within a primary care setting: A pilot study Journal of Affective Disorders Reports Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Trauma Group therapy Primary care behavioral health integration (PCBHI) Federally qualified health center (FQHC) |
| title | Implementing group therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder within a primary care setting: A pilot study |
| title_full | Implementing group therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder within a primary care setting: A pilot study |
| title_fullStr | Implementing group therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder within a primary care setting: A pilot study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Implementing group therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder within a primary care setting: A pilot study |
| title_short | Implementing group therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder within a primary care setting: A pilot study |
| title_sort | implementing group therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder within a primary care setting a pilot study |
| topic | Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Trauma Group therapy Primary care behavioral health integration (PCBHI) Federally qualified health center (FQHC) |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915324001422 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT katezona implementinggrouptherapyforposttraumaticstressdisorderwithinaprimarycaresettingapilotstudy AT hsianghuang implementinggrouptherapyforposttraumaticstressdisorderwithinaprimarycaresettingapilotstudy AT margaretspottswood implementinggrouptherapyforposttraumaticstressdisorderwithinaprimarycaresettingapilotstudy |