Outcomes of Trauma Treatment Using the TARGET Model

Abstract

In a randomized trial of a group intervention for co-occurring substance abuse and traumatic stress disorders "Trauma Adaptive Recovery Group Education and Therapy" (TARGET) was compared to trauma-sensitive usual care (TSU) with 213 clients in three adult outpatient clinics. Improvement at 6- and 12-month assessments occurred across conditions. TARGET was superior to TSU in maintaining sobriety self-efficacy. However, ethnic differences emerged. White TARGET participants reported more improvement than non-White participants on post-traumatic cognitions, and fewer non-White men reported relapses in TSU than in TARGET. TARGET appears to enhance sustained sobriety, but may require culturally specific adaptations.