A guide to guidelines for the treatment of PTSD and related conditions

Abstract

In recent years, several practice guidelines have appeared to inform clinical work in the assessment and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Although there is a high level of consensus across these documents, there are also areas of apparent difference that may lead to confusion among those to whom the guidelines are targeted-providers, consumers, and purchasers of mental health services for people affected by trauma. The authors have been responsible for developing guidelines across three continents (North America, Europe, and Australia). The aim of this article is to examine the various guidelines and to compare and contrast their methodologies and recommendations to aid clinicians in making decisions about their use.

The impact of childhood sexual abuse on the outcome of intensive trauma-focused treatment for PTSD

“…In general, trauma-focused psychotherapies are considered best practice for treating patients with PTSD according to international guidelines (see Forbes et al, 2010, for a review). To this end, several meta-analyses have shown that Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy are effective treatments (e.g.…”

Effectiveness of PTSD treatments for military service members and veterans

“…According to Forbes et al (2015), there are important areas of agreement across these guidelines. They strongly support the use of trauma-focused psychological treatments and identify some pharmacotherapy bene its for adults with PTSD [11].…”

What I have changed my mind about and why: public health and technology perspectives in the field of trauma studies

“…Loss of diagnosis is actually a very good way to measure clinically meaningful change; in one of my studies, it was associated with an average 40-point decrease on the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale and in achieving a good endpoint on measures of functioning and quality of life (Schnurr & Lunney, 2016). In the analyses performed to develop the decision aid (Harik, Grubbs, & Schnurr, 2016), we found that loss of diagnosis occurs for 53 out of every 100 patients who receive Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, first-line psychotherapies recommended in practice guidelines (Forbes et al, 2010). For first-line medications, the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, the estimate was 42 out of 100.…”