Education and Training

Understanding and Testing Recovery Processes for PTSD and Alcohol Use Following Sexual Assault

Sexual assault can lead to devastating consequences including the development of chronic conditions including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorders (AUD). Interventions delivered soon after exposure to assault can decrease the long-term negative consequences of sexual assault but existing interventions are limited in their ability to target concurrent PTSD symptoms and alcohol use and little is known about how to make best practice treatment decisions in the early period following sexual assault. A greater emphasis on transdiagnostic processes that are related to both PTSD and alcohol use, such as fear and reward systems, can elucidate mechanisms of recovery, lead to the development of more effective intervention approaches, and guide clinical decision making for patients recently exposed to sexual assault.

Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial.

Stanford Investigator(s):

Intervention(s):

  • behavioral: Imaginal Exposure
  • behavioral: Alcohol Skills Training
  • behavioral: Supportive Telehealth

Eligibility


Inclusion Criteria:

   1. Identifies as female.

   2. Between the age of 18 and 65.

   3. Reports a sexual assault in the last 4 weeks to 1 year.

   4. Current PTSD severity of 23+ on the PSS-I-5.

   5. Current heavy alcohol use (2+ heavy episodic drinking occasions [4+ drinks on one
   occasion] in past month).

   6. Access to the internet and a device with a webcam.

Exclusion Criteria:

   1. Current diagnosis of schizophrenia, delusional disorder, or organic mental disorder as
   defined by the DSM-5.

   2. Current diagnosis of bipolar disorder, depression with psychotic features, or
   depression severe enough to require immediate psychiatric treatment (i.e., serious
   suicide risk with intent and plan).

   3. Unwilling or unable to discontinue current trauma-focused psychotherapy or current
   substance use psychotherapy.

   4. Unstable dose of psychotropic medications in the prior 3 months.

   5. Ongoing intimate relationship with the perpetrator of most recent assault.

   6. Current diagnosis of a severe substance use disorder according to DSM-5, other than
   alcohol in the last month.

   7. No clear trauma memory.

   8. Current higher dose use of benzodiazepines (greater than the equivalent of 4 mg of
   lorazepam, 2 mg alprazolam, 1.5 mg clonazepam, or 20 mg of diazepam).

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years - 65 Years

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Not currently accepting new patients for this trial

Contact Information

Stanford University
School of Medicine
300 Pasteur Drive
Stanford, CA 94305
Not Recruiting