Large-scale implementation of a brief treatment program for PTSD in persons with serious mental illness in a mental health agency: The Brief, Relaxation, Education and Trauma Healing (BREATHE) program.

Abstract

Objective: We examined the feasibility and clinical outcomes of implementing a brief intervention for treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in persons with serious mental illness receiving services at a large, urban community mental health agency. The Brief, Relaxation, Education and Trauma Healing (BREATHE) program is a standardized, three-session intervention that targets PTSD symptoms through teaching breathing retraining and personalized psychoeducation about trauma and PTSD.

Method: A total of 60 clinicians were trained in the BREATHE intervention throughout the agency, which was offered to 233 clients who screened positive for probable PTSD. Self-report assessments of PTSD and depressive symptom severity were obtained before the first session, after the third session, and at a 3-month follow-up. Participant satisfaction was assessed in a brief survey.

Results: Of the 233 clients offered the BREATHE program, 211 (91%) accepted and attended at least one session. Most participants attended all three BREATHE sessions (59%) or two sessions (32%), with completers reporting high levels of satisfaction with the program. Participants showed clinically significant improvements in PTSD and depression symptoms from pretreatment to posttreatment and the 3-month follow-up.

Conclusions and implications for practice: This brief intervention for PTSD was feasible to implement in a large agency serving a diverse population of persons with serious mental illness, showed high client acceptability in terms of participation and satisfaction, and was associated with significant reductions in PTSD and depressive symptoms. Further research is needed to evaluate the impact of the BREATHE program for treating PTSD in this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).