Open AccessMechanisms of symptom reduction in a combined treatment for comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol dependence.
Author(s) -
Carmen P. McLean,
Yi-Jen Su,
Edna B. Foa
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of consulting and clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.582
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1939-2117
pISSN - 0022-006X
DOI - 10.1037/ccp0000024
Subject(s) - craving , psychology , alcohol use disorder , alcohol , naltrexone , alcohol dependence , clinical psychology , placebo , psychiatry , medicine , addiction , antagonist , biochemistry , chemistry , receptor , alternative medicine , pathology
To examine the mechanisms of prolonged exposure (PE) and naltrexone (NAL) that underlie symptom reduction among individuals with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol dependence (AD). We hypothesized that (a) reduction in negative cognitions mediates PTSD improvement during PE; (b) reduction in alcohol craving mediates reduction in drinking frequency during NAL treatment; and (c) PTSD improvement mediates reduction in craving and alcohol use during PE.