Preliminary Feasibility and Acceptability of the Adapted Manage Emotions to Reduce Alcohol-Related Aggression (MERA-A) Treatment for Veterans with PTSD Symptoms

Abstract Emotion regulation (ER) deficits underlie posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcohol misuse, and aggression, which are significant concerns among veterans. Trauma-informed interventions to reduce aggression via improved ER skills and alcohol consumption are needed for veterans. This study examined the preliminary feasibility and acceptability of the adapted Manage Emotions to Reduce Alcohol-Related Aggression (MERA-A) treatment, which integrated cognitive behavioral alcohol treatment techniques into the original MERA protocol. Participants were 16 veterans with subthreshold or full PTSD and both heavy episodic drinking and impulsive aggression in the past month. Feasibility and acceptability benchmarks were met via high Client Satisfaction Questionnaire scores (M = 28.46, SD = 3.07) and 81% (n = 13) retention. Participants found MERA to be helpful (M = 3.6 out of 4), reported using 5.2 out of 9 MERA-A skills between session, rated those skills as helpful almost all of the time. Further refinement and investigation of MERA-A treatment among veterans is warranted.