Mindful Self-Compassion for Veterans with Morally Injurious Experiences and Co-Occurring Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorder: A Feasibility Study.
Erica Eaton, Christy Capone, Shannon Reese, M Tracie Shea, J Greg Serpa, Christopher Germer
Journal of dual diagnosis April 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1080/15504263.2025.2474953 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Open-label feasibility and acceptability study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 26 |
| Population | Male veterans with moral injury and co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorder |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, one-month post-treatment follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation Addiction PTSD |
| Keywords | Moral injury Self-compassion Shame Veterans |
| Citations | 2 |
| Registration | NCT03681288 |
| Key points | Clinically meaningful increases in self-compassion and decreases in PTSD symptoms, guilt, shame, and drinking days were observed after an 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion group. |
Abstract
Objective: This study evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of delivering Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) to veterans with moral injury and co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorder (PTSD-SUD).
Methods: Veterans (N = 26; M age = 50.92; 100% male) were recruited for an 8-week MSC group. Participants completed measures of self-compassion, guilt, shame, PTSD, and substance use outcomes at baseline, post-treatment, and one-month post-treatment.
Results: The recruitment target was easily met, and dropout rates were low (30.8%) for a comorbid veteran sample. Participants reported satisfaction with the intervention. Clinically meaningful change was examined for self-compassion, trauma-related symptoms, and substance use. A clinically meaningful increase for self-compassion and clinically meaningful decreases in PTSD symptoms, guilt, shame, and number of drinking days were observed.
Conclusions: The open-label design and small sample size preclude conclusions regarding efficacy. However, these preliminary findings are encouraging and suggest further investigation of MSC as a compliment to existing trauma-related therapies (NCT03681288).
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on PTSD, most cited first.