Comparison of the effectiveness of drug combination with metacognitive therapy and drug therapy alone in reducing the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder

Abstract

Background and Objective: The Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an acute psychological reaction to severe traumatic events. Non-pharmacological treatments are considered as the first line treatment for PTSD and should be basically complementary to the treatment plans for patients with PTSD. However, some patients do not respond adequately to non-pharmacological treatments. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficiency and effectiveness of drug combination with meta-cognitive and drug therapy alone in reducing the severity and symptoms of PTSD. Materials and Methods: The samples of this study were the people who referred to the Shahid Beheshti Hospital of Zanjan, Iran. The type of clinical trial was single case and multiple baseline type. Six male subjects were selected by available sampling method and were then randomly assigned to two groups. The subjects in the pre-treatment stage (baseline) and during the fourth, eighth and post-treatment sessions, as well as follow-up (1 month and 2 months) and after the treatment and follow up (1 month and 2 months), completed the questionnaires of Clinical Executive Scale for post-traumatic stress disorder (CAAI), Beck anxiety (BAI), negative meta-cognitive (MCQ-30), SUDS and Function Psychology (GAFS). Results: The results showed that both methods (combination of drug therapy with meta-cognitive therapy) were effective in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and this effect was higher in the first method (combination of drug therapy with meta-cognitive therapy). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that both methods (Combination of drug therapy with meta-cognitive therapy) were effective in reducing symptoms and anxiety symptoms in patients with PTSD than drug therapy alone. Also, combination therapy reduces the amount of discomfort and improves overall performance of the patients. © 2018, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services. All rights reserved