Psychodrama group psychotherapy as an effective treatment for PTSD and depression in inpatient substance use treatment: a mixed methods study

ABSTRACT

This mixed-methods study (n = 60) explores the effectiveness of psychodrama in reducing symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression in an inpatient drug and alcohol facility. Quantitative findings demonstrate an average decrease in PTSD by 45% and in depression by 69%. Qualitative data from participant surveys support the outcomes and shed additional light on participants’ experience participating in trauma-focused psychodrama. Both quantitative and qualitative outcomes suggest treatment effects were similar regardless of whether participants were the psychodrama protagonist, played a supportive role, or observed. Results add to the evidence-base of psychodrama as an effective group therapy approach for trauma and depression while supporting participants in their recovery from addiction. While there are limitations to this research design, findings contribute to the research base supporting psychodrama’s effectiveness as a group psychotherapy.

KEYWORDS:

• Psychodrama
• trauma
• depression
• PTSD
• substance use
• COVID-19

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank and recognize Nicole Dunn-Johnson for the data input support she provided.

Disclosure statement

SG is contracted to provide clinical services by Mirmont Treatment Center, a company that may be affected by this research. To mitigate potential conflicts of interest, SG did not conduct the data analyses. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Data availability statement

The datasets for this manuscript are not publicly available due to patient confidentiality. Requests to access the datasets should be directed to the primary author.

Ethics statement

This study was approved by Pennsylvania State University Brandywine Campus IRB. The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.