New Pilot Study Demonstrates Promising Results for Online Treatment of Co-occurring PTSD and Substance Use Disorders

Details: Created: Thursday, 27 March 2025 17:52

Thursday 27 March 2025 at 07:00 AM GMT | Click Here for Full Study

Published in Frontiers Psychiatry
Online Group-Based IFS Intervention For PTSD/SUD

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 27, 2025 – A research team at the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion at Cambridge Health Alliance has announced promising results from a pilot study examining a novel online intervention for individuals with both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD). The findings, published in the Frontiers in Psychiatry, offer evidence supporting the promise of an innovative treatment for a population that has historically been difficult to treat effectively.

The study evaluated the Program for Alleviating and Reducing Trauma, Stress, and Substance Use (PARTS-SUD), an intervention based on Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy delivered through virtual group and individual sessions. Ten adults with co-occurring PTSD and SUD diagnoses participated in 12 weekly group sessions along with 6 individual counseling sessions.

"Finding the right treatment for patients with co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorders in community mental health that can help them gain greater control over substance use and start a process of deep healing of past trauma represents a significant treatment challenge, with traditional interventions showing only minimal differences in efficacy and high dropout rates," said Dr. Zev Schuman-Olivier, principal investigator of the study and director of the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion. "Our findings suggest that offering trauma-informed virtual care options like PARTS-SUD may significantly improve treatment accessibility and outcomes."

The pilot study exceeded its pre-specified aims for acceptability and feasibility. Participants rated the intervention with a mean score of 86% on overall acceptability and 92% were willing to refer a friend. The program also demonstrated strong retention, with 70% of participants completing the full 12-week treatment protocol.

Most notably, despite the small sample size, the study showed promising clinical outcomes. PTSD symptoms decreased with a large effect, reducing by 1.7 points per week (95% CI: -2.45, -0.93, p=0.002), with 54% of participants achieving a minimally important difference in PTSD symptoms as measured by PCL-5 scores. Additionally, Craving Scale scores also decreased with a large effect, reducing by 0.25 points per week (95% CI: -0.45, -0.06, p=0.014).

As one participant shared, "[I] face my dark parts with curiosity and compassion. I learned that my true self is good and wise, that the answers will reveal themselves if I am patient, persistent and present...help is on the way! I learned to listen to and trust myself."

Co-occurring Disorders Context

Approximately 30% of the United States adult population will have a substance use disorder (SUD) and 8% will experience PTSD during their lifetime, with 40% of those with PTSD having co-occurring PTSD and SUD, making this co-occurring disorder a significant public health concern for more than 8 million US adults.
Individuals with comorbid PTSD-SUD typically present with more severe symptoms, higher utilization of healthcare services, and poorer treatment outcomes.
Traditional treatments often address either PTSD or SUD separately, failing to recognize the whole-person..
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for effective virtual treatment options to ensure continuous care during public health crises.
PARTS-SUD represents a whole-person approach that addresses both conditions simultaneously through an accessible online format.

About the Study

PARTS-SUD Pilot Study

The PARTS-SUD pilot was a single-arm feasibility study funded by the Foundation for Self-Leadership. The intervention combined principles of Internal Family Systems therapy with evidence-based substance use treatment strategies, delivered entirely online.

About Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Internal Family Systems is an evidence-based therapeutic approach that views the mind as naturally multiple, consisting of sub-personalities or "parts" that can become extreme when carrying psychological burdens. IFS helps individuals develop compassionate relationships with all parts of themselves, facilitating healing from trauma and addiction simultaneously.

About the Foundation for Self Leadership

The Foundation for Self Leadership, a US-based nonprofit organization with an international scope, seeks to foster greater emotional, relational and societal healing and well-being in our world through the IFS paradigm and practice. This mission is advanced by funding empirical research, incubating programs that deepen access to the model as a self-empowering philosophy and approach, and advocating for its broader applications through outreach.