PTSD and Alcohol Couples Treatment for Veterans

Co-occurring PTSD-AUD is a complex and urgent public health crisis. COPE is a highly efficacious integrated intervention that has strong positive effects on reducing PTSD symptoms, but has substantial room for improvement regarding AUD outcomes. Adapting a brief dyadic intervention designed to target AUD to be delivered alongside COPE (COPE + B-FIT) is a promising way to bolster AUD outcomes and increase relationship functioning to promote recovery for Veteran and their families. The present study will test a modified version of B-FIT that is specifically designed to be delivered to Veterans with PTSD-AUD and their romantic partners. The goals of B-FIT are to: 1. increase reinforcement for AUD treatment engagement, 2. increase positive rewards from drinking reductions, and 3. decrease drinking cues by decreasing negative communication and increasing positive communication. This trial will recruit Veterans and their romantic partners (N=40 couples/80 individuals). This Stage 1a/1b trial will look at primary outcomes of feasibility and acceptability of the adapted B-FIT intervention, and secondary outcomes of PTSD symptoms, AUD symptoms, and psychosocial functioning.