Five Efficacious Treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: An Empirical Review

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 275-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Blankenship
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Cognitive Processing Therapy ◽  
Stress Inoculation ◽  
Training Requirements

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is known to be a debilitating disorder and for some a lifelong complaint. Although there are many treatment options, determining which treatments are not only recommended but show high efficacy rates is vital for clinicians. This review examines current treatment endorsements for PTSD and identifies five treatment modalities consistently recommended in the literature as most efficacious for PTSD: prolonged exposure therapy, cognitive processing therapy, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, stress inoculation training, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy. Comparison studies of each modality, limitations, and training requirements are reviewed. Research overall shows no significant differences in rates of efficacy between treatments, with mental health counselors recommended to select the approach that best fits the client population and professional goals based on identified strengths and limitations of each therapy. Additional recommendations for future directions are discussed.

scholarly journals Posttraumatic stress disorder treatment preference: cognitive processing therapy, prolonged exposure therapy, or pharmacotherapy?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shankari Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Exposure Therapy ◽  
Treatment Preference ◽  
Cognitive Processing Therapy ◽  
Prolonged Exposure Therapy ◽  
First Choice

Of the available treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), and pharmacotherapy are the protocols with the strongest research support. To investigate individuals’ preferences for treatment, participants were asked to read descriptions of CPT, PE, and pharmacotherapy, choose which one they think they would prefer should they require treatment, and rate their perceptions of treatment credibility. Two simultaneous studies were conducted: one with undergraduate and the other with online participants, and the latter had higher scores on measures of symptom distress. CPT was the first choice in both studies and was considered the most credible option. Undergraduate participants preferred PE as their second choice, while online participants picked pharmacotherapy. Undergraduate participants found PE to be more credible than pharmacotherapy, while online participants found them to be equally credible. Both groups chose psychotherapy alone as their first choice when given the option to combine psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy.

Cognitive behavioral treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder: Empirical foundation and new directions

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen M. Koucky ◽  
Benjamin D. Dickstein ◽  
Kathleen M. Chard
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral ◽  
Cognitive Processing Therapy ◽  
Empirically Supported ◽  
Behavioral Treatments

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is currently the most empirically supported intervention for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and includes both specific manualized treatments (e.g., cognitive processing therapy, prolonged exposure) and less standardized applications. As CBT for PTSD has become increasingly popular, more advanced questions have emerged regarding its use, including how existing treatments might be enhanced. In the current review, we aimed to discover recent trends in the CBT for PTSD literature by applying rigorous search criteria to peer-reviewed articles published from 2009 to 2012. Results of the 14 studies that were identified are discussed, and future directions for research are suggested.

scholarly journals Posttraumatic stress disorder treatment preference: cognitive processing therapy, prolonged exposure therapy, or pharmacotherapy?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shankari Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Exposure Therapy ◽  
Treatment Preference ◽  
Cognitive Processing Therapy ◽  
Prolonged Exposure Therapy ◽  
First Choice

Of the available treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), and pharmacotherapy are the protocols with the strongest research support. To investigate individuals’ preferences for treatment, participants were asked to read descriptions of CPT, PE, and pharmacotherapy, choose which one they think they would prefer should they require treatment, and rate their perceptions of treatment credibility. Two simultaneous studies were conducted: one with undergraduate and the other with online participants, and the latter had higher scores on measures of symptom distress. CPT was the first choice in both studies and was considered the most credible option. Undergraduate participants preferred PE as their second choice, while online participants picked pharmacotherapy. Undergraduate participants found PE to be more credible than pharmacotherapy, while online participants found them to be equally credible. Both groups chose psychotherapy alone as their first choice when given the option to combine psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure in the Department of Veterans Affairs

2017 ◽  
Vol 121 (2) ◽  
pp. 282-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin T. Rutt ◽  
Mary E. Oehlert ◽  
Thomas S. Krieshok ◽  
James W. Lichtenberg
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Cognitive Processing Therapy ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

Objective This study evaluated the effectiveness of cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure in conditions reflective of current clinical practice within the Veterans Health Administration. Method This study involved a retrospective review of 2030 charts. A total of 750 veterans from 10 U.S. states who received cognitive processing therapy or prolonged exposure in individual psychotherapy were included in the study (participants in cognitive processing therapy, N = 376; participants in prolonged exposure, N = 374). The main dependent variable was self-reported posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms as measured by total scores on the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist. The study used multilevel modeling to evaluate the absolute and relative effectiveness of both treatments and determine the relationship between patient-level variables and total Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist scores during treatment. Results Cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure were equally effective at reducing total Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist scores. Veterans who completed therapy reported significantly larger reductions in the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist than patients who did not complete therapy. There were no significant differences in the improvement of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms with respect to age and three racial/ethnic groups (Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic). Conclusions Cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure were shown to be effective in conditions highly reflective of clinical practice and with a highly diverse sample of veterans. Challenges related to dropout from trauma focused therapy should continue to be researched.

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