Female assault survivors (N=171) with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were randomly assigned to prolonged exposure (PE) alone, PE plus cognitive restructuring (PE/CR), or wait-list (WL). Treatment, which consisted of 9-12 sessions, was conducted at an academic treatment center or at a community clinic for rape survivors. Evaluations were conducted before and after therapy and at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Both treatments reduced PTSD and depression in intent-to-treat and completer samples compared with the WL condition; social functioning improved in the completer sample. The addition of CR did not enhance treatment outcome. No site differences were found: Treatment in the hands of counselors with minimal cognitive- behavioral therapy (CBT) experience was as efficacious as that of CBT experts. Treatment gains were maintained at follow-up, although a minority of patients received additional treatment.
Objective-To examine the efficacy and maintenance of developmentally adapted prolonged Exposure (PE-A) compared to active control Time Limited Dynamic Therapy (TLDP-A) for reducing post-traumatic and depressive symptoms in adolescent victims of single event traumas.Method-38 adolescents (age 12-18) were randomly assigned to receive either PE-A or TLDP-A.Results-Both treatments resulted in decreased post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, and increased functioning. PE-A exhibited greater reduction of PTSD and depression symptom severity, and greater increase in global functioning than did TDLP-A. At post-treatment, 68.4% of adolescents beginning treatment with PE-A and 36.8% of those beginning treatment with TLDP-A no longer met diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Treatment gains were maintained at 6 and 17 months follow-up. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Conclusions-Brief individual therapy is effective in reducing post-traumatic distress and behavioral trauma-focused components enhance efficacy.
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