Somatoform Dissociative Symptoms Have No Impact on the Outcome of Trauma-Focused Treatment for Severe PTSD

For patients with complex or other severe forms of PTSD, particularly in cases with dissociative symptoms, different treatment approaches have been suggested. However, the influence of somatoform dissociation on the effectiveness of trauma-focused treatment has hardly ever been studied. This study aims to test the hypotheses that (1) PTSD patients reporting a low level and those reporting a high level of somatoform dissociative symptoms would both benefit from an intensive trauma-focused treatment, and that (2) somatoform dissociative symptoms would alleviate. Participants were 220 patients with severe PTSD, enrolled in an intensive treatment program combining EMDR therapy and prolonged exposure therapy, without a preceding stabilization phase. Trauma history was diversified, and comorbidity was high. PTSD symptoms (CAPS-5 and PCL-5) and somatoform dissociative symptoms (SDQ-5 and SDQ-20) were assessed at pre-treatment, post-treatment and at six months after completion of treatment. The course of both PTSD and somatoform dissociative symptoms was compared for individuals reporting low and for those reporting high levels of somatoform dissociative symptoms. Large effect sizes were observed regarding PTSD symptoms reduction for patients with both low and high levels of somatoform dissociation. Somatoform dissociation did not impact improvement in terms of PTSD symptom reduction. The severity of somatoform dissociative symptoms decreased significantly in both groups. This decrease was greater for those with a positive screen for a dissociative disorder. These results add further support to the notion that the presence of strong somatoform dissociative symptoms in patients with PTSD does not necessarily call for a different treatment approach. Clinical implications are discussed.

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Reclaiming Your Life from a Traumatic Experience

10.1093/med-psych/9780190926892.001.0001 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Barbara Olasov Rothbaum ◽

Edna B. Foa ◽

Elizabeth A. Hembree ◽

Sheila A.M. Rauch

Keyword(s):

Stress Disorder ◽

Prolonged Exposure ◽

Exposure Therapy ◽

Behavioral Therapy ◽

Traumatic Experience ◽

Traumatic Experiences ◽

Trauma Survivors ◽

Ptsd Symptoms ◽

Prolonged Exposure Therapy ◽

Fear And Anxiety

This workbook, written for patients, is part of a brief cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program for individuals who are diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or who manifest PTSD symptoms that cause distress and/or dysfunction following various types of trauma. The overall aim of the treatment is to help trauma survivors emotionally process their traumatic experiences to diminish or eliminate PTSD and other trauma-related symptoms. The term “prolonged exposure” (PE) reflects the fact that the treatment program emerged from the long tradition of exposure therapy for anxiety disorders in which patients are helped to confront safe but anxiety-evoking situations to overcome their unrealistic, excessive fear and anxiety. PE is designed to get the patient in touch with these emotions and reactions. This workbook is a companion to the Therapist’s Guide, Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD.

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Germination of Four Species of Native Western Australian Plants using Plant-derived Smoke

Australian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1071/bt96119 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 47 (2) ◽

pp. 207 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Anle Tieu ◽

Julie A. Plummer ◽

Kingsley A. Dixon ◽

K. Sivasithamparam ◽

Ingrid M. Sieler

Keyword(s):

Native Species ◽

Prolonged Exposure ◽

Native Plant ◽

Land Restoration ◽

Native Plant Species ◽

Pre Treatment ◽

Propagation Methods ◽

High Level ◽

Smoke Water ◽

Western Australian

Plant-derived smoke was investigated in this study as a pre-germination treatment for seed of four native plant species from south-western Western Australia. Many Australian native species demonstrate low germination responses using conventional nursery propagation methods. Smoke water, prepared from burning 6 kg of fresh and dry foliage of Eucalyptus, Adenanthos and Banksia species and bubbling the smoke through water (20 L) for 1 h was found to substantially improve germination of Stylidium affine Sonder., Stylidium brunonianum Benth. (Stylidiaceae) and Conostylis setigera R.Br. (Haemodoraceae), whereas Actinotus leucocephalus Benth. (Apiaceae) retained a high level of dormancy despite prolonged exposure to smoke water. Diluted and full strength smoke water was found to significantly increase germination of S. brunonianum, C. setigera and A. leucocephalus over water alone. Seeds retained the smoke cue after imbibition in smoke water, whether incubated continuously with smoke water or imbibed in smoke water and dehydrated or dehydrated, stored for 3 weeks. Species varied in their germination response to changes in imbibing time in diluted smoke water. A. leucocephalus required longer periods of smoke water imbibition (24-48 h) to elevate germination irrespective of the three treatments following imbibition. All imbibition periods were effective in enhancing germinability of S. affine and S. brunonianum regardless of subsequent treatments. However, S. affine required shorter imbibition exposure times (3&OElig;12 h) for optimal germination for the dehydrated and stored treated seeds. C. setigera required shorter exposure to smoke water of 3 and 6 h, when germinated immediately, whereas longer exposure to smoke water was necessary for effective germination in dehydrated (24-48 h) and dehydrated and stored (48 h) treated seeds. The site of action of smoke water in seed was investigated and found to reside in part in the seed coat in S. affine, and the embryo and/or endosperm in A. leucocephalus. The smoke chemical(s) overcame multiple dormancy mechanisms in S. affine and A. leucocephalus whereas gibberellic acid (GA) and zeatin were unable to break dormancy. Mechanism of dormancy relief by smoke water was not the same as GA and zeatin. These data indicate that there are good prospects using imbibition with smoke water as a pre-treatment for seeds in the horticulture and land restoration activities.

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Prolonged Exposure Therapy Lessens PTSD Symptoms

Clinical Psychiatry News ◽

10.1016/s0270-6644(06)71163-8 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 26

Author(s):

KERRI WACHTER

Keyword(s):

Prolonged Exposure ◽

Exposure Therapy ◽

Ptsd Symptoms ◽

Prolonged Exposure Therapy

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Long-term follow-up of a randomised controlled trial of prolonged exposure therapy and supportive counselling for post-traumatic stress disorder in adolescents: a task-shifted intervention

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291720002731 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Jaco Rossouw ◽

Elna Yadin ◽

Debra Alexander ◽

Soraya Seedat

Keyword(s):

Prolonged Exposure ◽

Ptsd Symptom ◽

Post Treatment ◽

Ptsd Symptoms ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Prolonged Exposure Therapy ◽

Supportive Counselling ◽

Post Traumatic ◽

Ptsd Symptom Severity

Abstract Background Empirical evidence on the longer-term effectiveness of evidence-based treatments for adolescents with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in low-resource settings is needed. The aim of the study was to evaluate the maintenance of treatment gains achieved in a comparative study of effectiveness of prolonged exposure therapy for adolescents (PE-A) and supportive counselling (SC) in adolescents with PTSD up to 24-months post-treatment. Method Sixty-three adolescents (13–18 years) with PTSD were randomly assigned to receive either of the interventions comprising 7–14 sessions of treatment provided by trained and supervised non-specialist health workers (NSHWs). The primary outcome measure was PTSD symptom severity, as independently assessed on the Child PTSD Symptom Scale, at pretreatment, post-treatment, and at 3-, 6-, 12- and 24-months post-treatment follow-up (FU) evaluations. Results Participants in both the prolonged exposure and SC treatment groups attained a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms and maintained this reduction in PTSD symptoms at 12- and 24-month assessment. Participants receiving prolonged exposure experienced greater improvement on the PTSD symptom severity scale than those receiving SC at 12-months FU [difference in PE-A v. SC mean scores = 9.24, 95% CI (3.66–14.83), p < 0.001; g = 0.88] and at 24-months FU [difference in PE-A v. SC mean scores = 9.35, 95% CI (3.53–15.17), p = 0.002; g = 0.68]. Conclusions Adolescents with PTSD continued to experience greater benefit from prolonged exposure treatment than SC provided by NSHWs in a community setting 12 and 24 months after completion of treatment.

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Prolonged Exposure Therapy: A Case of Comorbid PTSD, ADHD, and GAD

Clinical Case Studies ◽

10.1177/1534650121994267 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 153465012199426

Author(s):

Tabitha A. DiBacco ◽

Scott T. Gaynor

Keyword(s):

Prolonged Exposure ◽

Psychological Intervention ◽

Pharmacological Intervention ◽

Ptsd Symptoms ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Prolonged Exposure Therapy ◽

Individual Assessment ◽

The Face ◽

Present Case Study

This case study displays the successful application of Prolonged Exposure (PE) for a client with diagnoses of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). To our knowledge ADHD has not been examined as a predictor or moderator of PE outcomes. As such, practitioners have precious little information about how to proceed in such cases, which highlights the importance of careful individual assessment and case conceptualization. There is also a dearth of information on the effects of combining PE (a research-supported psychological intervention for PTSD) with psychostimulant medication (a research-supported pharmacological intervention for ADHD). The present case study illustrates a positive synergy between psychostimulant treatment and PE. The unique adjustments made to deliver services (including in the face of COVID-19) are described as well as what this case suggests about the effects of psychostimulant use on PTSD symptoms and the new learning that occurs during PE.

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PET+EMDR+VR to Reduce PTSD Symptoms

Journal of Psychology & Behavior Research ◽

10.22158/jpbr.v2n2p39 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. p39

Author(s):

Mingju Zhang

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Stress ◽

Prolonged Exposure ◽

Exposure Therapy ◽

Daily Life ◽

Optimal Level ◽

Ptsd Symptoms ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Prolonged Exposure Therapy ◽

Post Traumatic ◽

Current Ptsd

As Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome become ubiquitous in our daily life. Under overwhelming stress, people are more prone to PTSD since they live under stress and frequently come to their limits of sentimental optimal level, and the goal of this paper is to ameliorate these commonplaces in PTSD because it becomes ubiquitous. I hope to expound on this by going through various universal methods, which can guarantee therapists to cover optimal numbers of PTSD patients and benefit larger audiences. While Therapist use prolonged exposure therapy to desensitize patients and EMDR can relax patients during each treatment. Latest VR technology and Situated AI progression will resolve short-come in current PTSD treatments. Research is made and an ideal prototype will be presented with detailed procedure in this paper.

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