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Trauma management therapy with virtual-reality augmented exposure therapy for combat-related PTSD: A randomized controlled trial
- Source :
- Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 61:64-74
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2019.
-
Abstract
- Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) realistically incorporates traumatic cues into exposure therapy and holds promise in the treatment of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In a randomized controlled trial of 92 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and active duty military personnel with combat-related PTSD, we compared the efficacy of Trauma Management Therapy (TMT; VRET plus a group treatment for anger, depression, and social isolation) to VRET plus a psychoeducation control condition. Efficacy was evaluated at mid- and post-treatment, and at 3- and 6-month follow-up. Consistent with our hypothesis, VRET resulted in significant decreases on the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale and the PTSD Checklist-Military version for both groups. Also consistent with our hypothesis, significant decreases in social isolation occurred only for those participants who received the TMT group component. There were significant decreases for depression and anger for both groups, although these occurred after VRET and before group treatment. All treatment gains were maintained six-months later. Although not part of the original hypotheses, sleep was not improved by either intervention and remained problematic. The results support the use of VRET as an efficacious treatment for combat-related PTSD, but suggest that VRET alone does not result in optimal treatment outcomes across domains associated with PTSD.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
050103 clinical psychology
medicine.medical_specialty
medicine.medical_treatment
media_common.quotation_subject
Clinician Administered PTSD Scale
Exposure therapy
Anger
law.invention
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Randomized controlled trial
law
mental disorders
medicine
Psychoeducation
Humans
0501 psychology and cognitive sciences
Social isolation
Psychiatry
Depression (differential diagnoses)
Veterans
media_common
Depression
05 social sciences
Psychotherapy
Psychiatry and Mental health
Clinical Psychology
Military Personnel
Treatment Outcome
Female
medicine.symptom
Sleep
Psychology
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Clinical psychology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 08876185
- Volume :
- 61
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Anxiety Disorders
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....71fe51efb56fcb17ed510e9ed8e92082