The purpose of this experiment was to conduct a dismantling study of cognitive processing therapy in which the full protocol was compared with its constituent components--cognitive therapy only (CPT-C) and written accounts (WA)--for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and comorbid symptoms. The intent-to-treat (ITT) sample included 150 adult women with PTSD who were randomized into 1 of the 3 conditions. Each condition consisted of 2 hr of therapy per week for 6 weeks; blind assessments were conducted before treatment, 2 weeks following the last session, and 6 months following treatment. Measures of PTSD and depression were collected weekly to examine the course of recovery during treatment as well as before and after treatment. Secondary measures assessed anxiety, anger, shame, guilt, and dysfunctional cognitions. Independent ratings of adherence and competence were also conducted. Analyses with the ITT sample and with study completers indicate that patients in all 3 treatments improved substantially on PTSD and depression, the primary measures, and improved on other indices of adjustment. However, there were significant group differences in symptom reduction during the course of treatment whereby the CPT-C condition reported greater improvement in PTSD than the WA condition.

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Objective This study tested a modified Cognitive Processing Therapy intervention (MCPT) designed as a more flexible administration of the protocol. Number of sessions was determined by client progress toward a priori defined end-state criteria, “stressor sessions” were inserted when necessary, and therapy was conducted by novice CPT clinicians. Method A randomized, controlled, repeated measures, semi-crossover design was utilized to 1) test the relative efficacy of the MCPT intervention compared to a Symptom-Monitoring Delayed Treatment (SMDT) condition and 2) to assess within-group variation in change with a sample of 100 male and female interpersonal trauma survivors with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Results Hierarchical linear modeling analyses revealed that MCPT evidenced greater improvement on all primary (PTSD and depression) and secondary (guilt, quality of life, general mental health, social functioning, and health perceptions) outcomes compared with SMDT. After the conclusion of SMDT, participants crossed over to MCPT, resulting in a Combined MCPT sample (n = 69). Of the 50 participants who completed MCPT, 58% reached end-state criteria prior to the 12th session, 8% at session 12, and 34% between sessions 12-18. Maintenance of treatment gains was found at the 3-month follow-up, with only two of the treated sample meeting criteria for PTSD. The use of stressor sessions did not result in poorer treatment outcomes. Conclusions Findings suggest that individuals respond at a variable rate to CPT, with significant benefit from additional therapy when indicated and excellent maintenance of gains. The insertion of stressor sessions did not alter the efficacy of the therapy.