1. Comparison of Prolonged Exposure vs Cognitive Processing Therapy for Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among US Veterans
- Author
-
Schnurr, Paula P, Chard, Kathleen M, Ruzek, Josef I, Chow, Bruce K, Resick, Patricia A, Foa, Edna B, Marx, Brian P, Friedman, Matthew J, Bovin, Michelle J, Caudle, Kristina L, Castillo, Diane, Curry, Kyle T, Hollifield, Michael, Huang, Grant D, Chee, Christine L, Astin, Millie C, Dickstein, Benjamin, Renner, Kerry, Clancy, Carolina P, Collie, Claire, Maieritsch, Kelly, Bailey, Su, Thompson, Karin, Messina, Michael, Franklin, Laurel, Lindley, Steve, Kattar, Karen, Luedtke, Brandi, Romesser, Jennifer, McQuaid, John, Sylvers, Patrick, Varkovitzky, Ruth, Davis, Lori, MacVicar, David, and Shih, Mei-Chiung
- Subjects
Health Services ,Behavioral and Social Science ,Anxiety Disorders ,Clinical Trials and Supportive Activities ,Brain Disorders ,Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) ,Comparative Effectiveness Research ,Clinical Research ,Mental Health ,Mental health ,Good Health and Well Being ,Adult ,Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ,Female ,Humans ,Implosive Therapy ,Male ,Middle Aged ,Stress Disorders ,Post-Traumatic ,Treatment Outcome ,United States ,Veterans - Abstract
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
- Published
- 2022