3 - (SYM 77) Meaning-centered CBT Improves Loneliness and Meaning in Individuals with PTSD or Trauma

Individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other trauma-related disorders often experience symptoms such as loneliness and lack of meaning (Mobbs & Bonanno, 2018; Straus et al., 2021). These symptoms are important to identify and treat, as they are often correlated with poorer health outcomes compared to healthy controls (Czekierda et al., 2017; Hawkley et al., 2010). Although empirically supported treatments (EST) such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) approaches are often effective for treating symptoms of PTSD, these treatments do not explicitly address symptoms of loneliness and meaninglessness. As loneliness and meaninglessness can persist even after “hallmark” PTSD symptoms are resolved by an EST, it is important to consider additional treatments to help reduce these residual symptoms. This study intends to evaluate a new, meaning-centered group-based CBT (MC-CBT) developed for individuals who have experienced trauma. Treatment is targeted at engaging with sources of meaning and encourages participants to contribute to open-ended discussions about concepts and homework. Thirty-two individuals who have experienced a trauma, subsequently completed a course of CBT, and report current meaninglessness and/or loneliness, will enroll in the study. The first group has been randomized and we will run two groups, randomizing individuals to MC-CBT (n=8 per group x2) or treatment as usual, which consists of continuing any current treatment patients are involved in (n=8 per group x2). Participants will engage in treatment for 16 weeks. This presentation will discuss changes in loneliness and meaninglessness across time for the first round of MC-CBT completers, using multilevel modeling. Individual-level results will be displayed and treatment impact, feasibility, and acceptability will also be discussed. This treatment is poised to foster a sense of meaning and connection in individuals who have experienced trauma and have completed an EST.