Resilience as a predictor of treatment response in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder treated with venlafaxine extended release or placebo

Abstract

This post-hoc analysis evaluated resilience as a predictor of treatment response in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Data were pooled from two randomized, double-blind studies conducted with adult outpatients treated with flexible doses of venlafaxine extended release (ER) 37.5 to 300 mg/day or placebo. The 17-item Clinician-Administered Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Scale (CAPS-SX₁₇) was the primary outcome measure. Baseline Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) scores for the 25-, 10-, and 2-item versions were used to predict changes in PTSD symptom severity at week 12 and symptomatic remission (CAPS-SX₁₇ ≤ 20). Analyses were conducted for the overall population and separately for the individual treatment groups. In total, pretreatment resilience predicted a positive treatment response. For the overall population, all versions of the CD-RISC predicted CAPS-SX₁₇ change scores and remission after controlling for variables such as treatment group and baseline symptom severity. For venlafaxine ER-treated patients, all versions of the CD-RISC were predictive of remission, but only the 10-item version was predictive of CAPS-SX₁₇ change score. Our results suggest that higher pretreatment resilience is generally associated with a positive treatment response. Future research may be warranted to explore the relationship between response to active treatment and the spectrum of resiliency.