Search

ImportancePosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent and serious mental health problem. Although there are effective psychotherapies for PTSD, there is little information about their comparative effectiveness.ObjectiveTo compare the effectiveness of prolonged exposure (PE) vs cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for treating PTSD in veterans.Design, setting, and participantsThis randomized clinical trial assessed the comparative effectiveness of PE vs CPT among veterans with military-related PTSD recruited from outpatient mental health clinics at 17 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers across the US from October 31, 2014, to February 1, 2018, with follow-up through February 1, 2019. The primary outcome was assessed using centralized masking. Tested hypotheses were prespecified before trial initiation. Data were analyzed from October 5, 2020, to May 5, 2021.InterventionsParticipants were randomized to 1 of 2 individual cognitive-behavioral therapies, PE or CPT, delivered according to a flexible protocol of 10 to 14 sessions.Main outcomes and measuresThe primary outcome was change in PTSD symptom severity on the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) from before treatment to the mean after treatment across posttreatment and 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Secondary outcomes included other symptoms, functioning, and quality of life.ResultsAnalyses were based on all 916 randomized participants (730 [79.7%] men and 186 [20.3%] women; mean [range] age 45.2 [21-80] years), with 455 participants randomized to PE (mean CAPS-5 score at baseline, 39.9 [95% CI, 39.1-40.7] points) and 461 participants randomized to CPT (mean CAPS-5 score at baseline, 40.3 [95% CI, 39.5-41.1] points). PTSD severity on the CAPS-5 improved substantially in both PE (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.99 [95% CI, 0.89-1.08]) and CPT (SMD, 0.71 [95% CI, 0.61-0.80]) groups from before to after treatment. Mean improvement was greater in PE than CPT (least square mean, 2.42 [95% CI, 0.53-4.31]; P = .01), but the difference was not clinically significant (SMD, 0.17). Results for self-reported PTSD symptoms were comparable with CAPS-5 findings. The PE group had higher odds of response (odds ratio [OR], 1.32 [95% CI, 1.00-1.65]; P

The purpose of this study was to compare cognitive-processing therapy (CPT) with prolonged exposure and a minimal attention condition (MA) for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. One hundred seventy-one female rape victims were randomized into 1 of the 3 conditions, and 121 completed treatment. Participants were assessed with the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale, the PTSD Symptom Scale, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Trauma-Related Guilt Inventory. Independent assessments were made at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 3 and 9 months posttreatment. Analyses indicated that both treatments were highly efficacious and superior to MA. The 2 therapies had similar results except that CPT produced better scores on 2 of 4 guilt subscales.

The personal experience of treating rape victims is discussed in this paper from the perspective of vicarious traumatization and information processing theory. In particular, symptoms experienced by the rape therapist and challenges to her schemas about the world and others are explored. Suggestions for dealing with vicarious traumatization are included.

It is hypothesized that significant rates of diagnosable Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) levels would be found among battered women and that the level of trauma experienced would contribute most significantly to the level of PTSD symptomatology. It was also hypothesized that other variables, such as social support, intercurrent life events, intrinsic religiosity, and developmental family stressors, would also contribute to PTSD symptomatology levels. Participants in the study undertaken to test these hypotheses were 53 battered women who were clients of three Los Angeles area shelters (75%) and one counseling center for battered women (25%). Participants' ages ranged from 18 to 58 years, and the sample was composed of 57% Caucasians, 19% blacks, 17% Hispanics, 4% Asians, and 4% Native Americans. The women were administered standardized self-report measures to assess the variables. As expected, a significant proportion of battered women in the sample were diagnosed as PTSD positive. Multiple regression analyses showed that violence exposure severity, recency of the last abusive episode, social support, intercurrent life events, intrinsic religiosity, and developmental family stressors predicted 43% of the variance in PTSD symptomatology.