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Introduction: Individuals exposed to interpersonal violence (IPV) commonly develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with co-occurring depression and insomnia. Standard PTSD interventions such as cognitive processing therapy (CPT) do not typically lead to remission or improved insomnia. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTi) improves insomnia in individuals with PTSD, but PTSD severity remains elevated., Objective: To determine whether sequential treatment of insomnia and PTSD is superior to treatment of only PTSD., Methods: In a 20-week trial, 110 participants exposed to IPV who had PTSD, depression and insomnia were randomized to CBTi followed by CPT or to attention control followed by CPT. Primary outcomes following CBTi (or control) were the 6-week change in score on the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D). Primary outcomes following CPT were the 20-week change in scores., Results: At 6 weeks, the CBTi condition had greater reductions in ISI, HAM-D, and CAPS scores than the attention control condition. At 20 weeks, participants in the CBTi+CPT condition had greater reductions in ISI, HAM-D, and CAPS scores compared to control+CPT. Effects were larger for insomnia and for depression than for PTSD. Similar patterns were observed with respect to clinical response and remission. A tipping point sensitivity analyses supported the plausibility of the findings., Conclusions: The sequential delivery of CBTi and CPT had plausible, significant effects on insomnia, depression, and PTSD compared to CPT alone. The effects for PTSD symptoms were moderate and clinically meaningful., (© 2021 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objective: Exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health issue associated with deleterious mental and medical health comorbidities, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The hallmark symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTS), even when not meeting the threshold for a diagnosis of PTSD, appear to be underpinned by poor self-regulation in multiple domains, including emotion, cognitive control, and physiological stress. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) holds promise for treating PTS symptoms because evidence suggests it targets these domains. The current study was a pilot randomized clinical trial designed to examine changes in emotion regulation, attentional function, and physiological stress dysregulation among women IPV survivors with elevated PTS symptoms after participation in a group-based, 8-week MBSR program. Method: In total, 29 participants were randomized to receive MBSR ( n = 19) or an active control ( n = 10). Assessments were conducted at study entry, as well as 8 and 12 weeks later. Results: Between-group differences on primary outcomes were nonsignificant; however, when exploring within groups, statistically significant decreases in PTS symptoms, F(1.37, 16.53) = 5.19, p < .05, and emotion dysregulation, F(1.31, 14.46) = 9.36, p < .01, were observed after MBSR but not after the control intervention. Further, decreases in PTSD and emotion dysregulation were clinically significant for MBSR participants but not control participants. Conclusions: These preliminary data signal that MBSR may improve PTS symptoms and emotion regulation and suggest further study of the effectiveness of PTSD interventions guided by integrative models of MBSR mechanisms and psychophysiological models of stress regulation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Compelling evidence from animal and human research suggest a strong link between inflammation and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Furthermore, recent findings support compromised neurocognitive function as a key feature of PTSD, particularly with deficits in attention and processing speed, executive function, and memory. These cognitive domains are supported by brain structures and neural pathways that are disrupted in PTSD and which are implicated in fear learning and extinction processes. The disruption of these supporting structures potentially results from their interaction with inflammation. Thus, the converging evidence supports a model of inflammatory dysregulation and cognitive dysfunction as combined mechanisms underpinning PTSD symptomatology. In this review, we summarize evidence of dysregulated inflammation in PTSD and further explore how the neurobiological underpinnings of PTSD, in the context of fear learning and extinction acquisition and recall, may interact with inflammation. We then present evidence for cognitive dysfunction in PTSD, highlighting findings from human work. Potential therapeutic approaches utilizing novel pharmacological and behavioral interventions that target inflammation and cognition also are discussed.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic and debilitating disorder that affects the lives of 7-8% of adults in the U.S. Although several interventions demonstrate clinical effectiveness for treating PTSD, many patients continue to have residual symptoms and ask for a variety of treatment options. Complementary health approaches, such as meditation and yoga, hold promise for treating symptoms of PTSD. This meta-analysis evaluates the effect size (ES) of yoga and meditation on PTSD outcomes in adult patients. We also examined whether the intervention type, PTSD outcome measure, study population, sample size, or control condition moderated the effects of complementary approaches on PTSD outcomes. The studies included were 19 randomized control trials with data on 1173 participants. A random effects model yielded a statistically significant ES in the small to medium range (ES=-0.39, p<0.001, 95% CI [-0.57, -0.22]). There were no appreciable differences between intervention types, study population, outcome measures, or control condition. There was, however, a marginally significant higher ES for sample size≤30 (ES=-0.78, k=5). These findings suggest that meditation and yoga are promising complementary approaches in the treatment of PTSD among adults and warrant further study., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with increased risk of suicidal ideation among veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. This report examined the effectiveness of a brief phone-based cognitive-behavioral intervention on treatment seeking among suicidal and nonsuicidal Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans who screened positive for PTSD. Participants were randomized to the intervention or control conditions. We found that suicidal participants, regardless of condition, were twice as likely to attend treatment as nonsuicidal participants. Participants assigned to the control condition who did not indicate suicidality at baseline were less likely to attend treatment at both the 1- and 6-month follow-up interviews. Qualitative findings of the suicidal participants indicated PTSD and depressive symptoms, low social support, and infrequent positive coping mechanisms. Our finding indicates the effectiveness of an intervention to motivate veterans with PTSD to initiate and remain in treatment. The intervention might be particularly useful prior to experiencing a psychological crisis.

Sleep disturbance is a common feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but is not a focus of standard PTSD treatments. Psychological trauma exposure is associated with considerable physical and mental health morbidity, possibly due to the alterations in neuroendocrine function and inflammation observed in trauma exposed individuals. Although PTSD treatments are efficacious, they are associated with high drop-out rates in clinical trials and clinical practice. Finally, individuals with PTSD stemming from exposure to interpersonal violence represent an especially under-treated population with significant sleep disturbance. Community-based participatory research was utilized to design and prepare a clinical trial that randomizes recent survivors of interpersonal violence who have PTSD, depression, and insomnia to receive either: (1) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi) followed by Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for trauma, or (2) attention control followed by CPT. Outcome measures include subjective and objective measures of sleep, clinician-administered PTSD and depression scales, inflammatory cytokines, and salivary cortisol. Assessments are conducted at baseline, following the sleep or control intervention, and again following CPT. The design allows for: (1) the first test of a sleep intervention in this population; (2) the comparison of sequenced CBTi and CPT to attention control followed by CPT, and (3) assessing the roles of neuroendocrine function, inflammatory processes, and objective sleep markers in mediating treatment outcomes. The study's overarching hypothesis is that treating insomnia will produce reduction in insomnia, PTSD, and depression severity, allowing patients to more fully engage in, and derive optimal benefits from, cognitive processing therapy., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Purpose: Women veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom [OEF/OIF]) have a moderately higher risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than male veterans. However, gender disparities in treatment engagement may prevent women veterans from initiating the care they need. Understanding gender differences in predictors of and barriers to treatment is essential to improving engagement and mental health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in treatment utilization after a brief, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention among male and female OEF/OIF veterans., Methods: Participants were assigned randomly to either the intervention or control conditions. Intervention participants received the telephone-based CBT intervention. Participants were 35 female and 238 male OEF/OIF veterans who screened positive for PTSD and had never initiated PTSD treatment. Participants were asked about treatment utilization, beliefs about PTSD treatment, and symptoms at months 1, 3, and 6 months subsequent to the baseline telephone assessment. The PTSD Checklist-Military Version was used to assess PTSD and the Patient's Health Questionnaire was used to assess symptoms of depression., Findings: Female veterans who received an intervention were significantly more likely to have attended treatment over the 6-month follow-up period than male veterans who received an intervention (χ(2) = 7.91; df = 3; odds ratio, 3.93; p = .04)., Conclusions: The CBT intervention may be a critical mechanism to engage female veterans in treatment. Further research is needed to understand how to engage male veterans with PTSD in treatment., (Copyright © 2015 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this article is to provide a brief overview of sleep in the context of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and focus on the treatment of the most common sleep disorders encountered by patients with PTSD: insomnia and nightmares. The effects of the standard treatments for PTSD are discussed along with a review of available treatments for insomnia and nightmares. Particular emphasis is placed on nonpharmacologic treatments for these sleep disorders and how they may be adapted for delivery to patients with PTSD., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)