Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Feb 15;12(2):e054830.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054830.

Protocol for individual participant data meta-analysis of interventions for post-traumatic stress

Simonne Lesley Wright  1   2 , Eirini Karyotaki  3 , Jonathan I Bisson  4 , Pim Cuijpers  3 , Davide Papola  5 , Anke B Witteveen  3 , Soraya Seedat  6 , Marit Sijbrandij  3
Affiliations

Protocol for individual participant data meta-analysis of interventions for post-traumatic stress

Simonne Lesley Wright et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Introduction: Several evidence-based treatments are effective for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet a substantial proportion of patients do not respond or dropout of treatment. We describe the protocol for a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis (IPD-MA) aimed at assessing the effectiveness and adverse effects of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy interventions for treating PTSD. Additionally, we seek to examine moderators and predictors of treatment outcomes.

Method and analysis: This IPD-MA includes randomised controlled trials comparing psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy interventions for PTSD. PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, PTSDpubs and CENTRAL will be screened up till the 11th of January 2021. The target population is adults with above-threshold baseline PTSD symptoms on any standardised self-report measure. Trials will only be eligible if at least 70% of the study sample have been diagnosed with PTSD by means of a structured clinical interview. The primary outcomes of this IPD-MA are PTSD symptom severity, and response rate. Secondary outcomes include treatment dropout and adverse effects. Two independent reviewers will screen major bibliographic databases and past reviews. Authors will be contacted to contribute their participant-level datasets. Datasets will be merged into a master dataset. A one-stage IPD-MA will be conducted focusing on the effects of psychological and pharmacological interventions on PTSD symptom severity, response rate, treatment dropout and adverse effects. Subsequent analyses will focus on examining the effect of moderators and predictors of treatment outcomes. These will include sociodemographic, treatment-related, symptom-related, resilience, intervention, trauma and combat-related characteristics. By determining the individual factors that influence the effectiveness of specific PTSD treatments, we will gain insight into personalised treatment options for PTSD.

Ethics and dissemination: Specific ethics approval for an IPD-MA is not required as this study entails secondary analysis of existing anonymised data. The results of this study will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and presentations.

Keywords: adult psychiatry; mental health; protocols & guidelines.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Kessler RC, Berglund P, Demler O, et al. . Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National comorbidity survey replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2005;62:593–602. 10.1001/archpsyc.62.6.593 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kuester A, Niemeyer H, Knaevelsrud C. Internet-Based interventions for posttraumatic stress: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clin Psychol Rev 2016;43:1–16. 10.1016/j.cpr.2015.11.004 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Edmondson D, Kronish IM, Shaffer JA, et al. . Posttraumatic stress disorder and risk for coronary heart disease: a meta-analytic review. Am Heart J 2013;166:806–14. 10.1016/j.ahj.2013.07.031 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. McCauley JL, Killeen T, Gros DF, et al. . Posttraumatic stress disorder and co-occurring substance use disorders: advances in assessment and treatment. Clin Psychol 2012;19:283–304. 10.1111/cpsp.12006 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Panagioti M, Gooding PA, Tarrier N. A meta-analysis of the association between posttraumatic stress disorder and suicidality: the role of comorbid depression. Compr Psychiatry 2012;53:915–30. 10.1016/j.comppsych.2012.02.009 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types