Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and SUD: Prolonged Exposure vs. MDMA-Assisted Therapy

Friday, April 5, 2024

3:00 PM – 4:15 PM

Presenter(s)

Jeoffrey Hill, MD

Medical Director
The Center for Motivation and Change, Massachusetts

Slides
Jeffrey Foote, PhD

Co-Founder and Executive Director
The Center for Motivation and Change, Massachusetts
Carrie Wilkens, PhD

Co-Founder and Clinical Director
The Center for Motivation and Change, New York

PTSD and SUD are highly co-occurring disorders, associated with increased rates of suicide, healthcare utilization, psychosocial impairments, and poorer SUD treatment response. Reductions in PTSD symptoms demonstrably lead to reductions in substance use, but at present, treatments for these highly comorbid disorders are not integrated; patients typically receive treatment for only one of the two mutually reinforcing disorders, making positive change less likely. This session will explore the safety and efficacy of concurrent treatments, including Prolonged Exposure and MDMA-assisted treatment.

Learning Objectives:

Learners will be able to:

Describe the general procedures and processes involved in two specific PTSD protocols: Prolonged Exposure therapy and MDMA-Assisted Therapy
Contrast the putative mechanisms of action and change in Prolonged Exposure vs. MDMA-AT
Define the potential adverse effects of two distinct treatment approaches to PTSD in an SUD population, and list potential cautionary steps to consider when conducting these treatments