Publications by R J C Huntjens

Publications by authors named "R J C Huntjens"

Front Psychol

June 2024

Policymakers and health providers are focusing more on cost-effectiveness analyses (CEA) for mental health treatments, especially due to rising costs in this sector.
The study compared the cost-effectiveness of a phased treatment approach (STAIR-EMDR) versus direct trauma-focused treatment (EMDR only) in patients with PTSD linked to childhood abuse.
Results showed no significant differences in effectiveness, but STAIR-EMDR had higher societal costs, making it less cost-effective than EMDR-only therapy for PTSD treatment.

Eur J Psychotraumatol

January 2024

Knowledge of predictors and moderators is crucial for enhancing PTSD treatment effectiveness in those affected by childhood abuse, with the study investigating variables that could impact treatment outcomes.
The research compared a two-step treatment method (STAIR plus EMDR) versus a direct EMDR approach for PTSD, focusing on various psychological symptoms as predictors and moderators.
Findings indicated that pre-treatment PTSD severity and dissociative symptoms were major predictors of poor treatment outcomes, suggesting that more extensive or mixed treatment options might be necessary for those with severe PTSD symptoms.

J Trauma Stress

December 2023

A recent study investigated the effectiveness of two types of PTSD treatments—phase-based (EMDR preceded by STAIR) and direct trauma-focused (EMDR only)—to determine which is more beneficial for patients with PTSD from childhood abuse.
Using the Personalized Advantage Index (PAI) model and machine learning, the study aimed to predict which treatments might be more effective for specific patients based on pretreatment variables.
The findings showed no significant differences in outcomes between patients receiving PAI-indicated treatment and those receiving non-PAI treatments, suggesting that personalized medicine may not be necessary for this group, highlighting the need for further research with larger sample sizes.

Eur J Psychotraumatol

October 2023

The study aimed to explore how beliefs about memory related to dissociation impact trauma-focused treatment in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), particularly those with the dissociative subtype.
Researchers assessed PTSD symptoms and dissociative beliefs in a sample of 111 patients, finding that those with the dissociative subtype had higher levels of these beliefs before treatment, which decreased after trauma-focused therapy.
Contrary to initial expectations, the study concluded that higher levels of dissociation-related beliefs did not adversely affect treatment outcomes for PTSD patients.

Front Psychiatry

August 2023

Knowledge of factors that predict treatment dropout in PTSD patients is limited, highlighting the need for further research on this issue.
A study compared two treatment approaches for PTSD from childhood abuse and used machine learning to analyze pre-treatment data for indicators of dropout, achieving an 81.6% prediction accuracy.
Key predictors of dropout included male gender, low education, suicidal thoughts, emotion regulation issues, high general psychopathology, and not using benzodiazepines, suggesting areas for improving treatment retention.