Psychological mechanisms of effective cognitive-behavioral treatments for PTSD

Current Psychiatry Reports
Alyson K Zalta

Abstract

Several psychotherapies have been established as effective treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) including prolonged exposure, cognitive processing therapy, and cognitive therapy for PTSD. Understanding the key mechanisms of these treatments, i.e., how these treatments lead to therapeutic benefits, will enable us to maximize the efficacy, effectiveness, and efficiency of these therapies. This article provides an overview of the theorized mechanisms for each of these treatments, reviews the recent empirical evidence on psychological mechanisms of these treatments, discusses the ongoing debates in the field, and provides recommendations for future research. Few studies to date have examined whether changes in purported treatment mechanisms predict subsequent changes in treatment outcomes. Future clinical trials examining treatments for PTSD should use study designs that enable researchers to establish the temporal precedence of change in treatment mechanisms prior to symptom reduction. Moreover, further research is needed that explores the links between specific treatment components, underlying change mechanisms, and treatment outcomes.

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Citations

Oct 8, 2016·PloS One·Navid GhaffarzadeganMohammad S Jalali
Jan 23, 2019·Journal of Traumatic Stress·Jacob K Farnsworth
Feb 23, 2019·European Journal of Psychotraumatology·Abigail PowersTanja Jovanovic
Nov 20, 2016·Journal of Traumatic Stress·Samuli KangaslampiKirsi Peltonen
Sep 28, 2016·Current Psychiatry Reports·Rebecca K SripadaIsrael Liberzon
May 17, 2017·Journal of Trauma & Dissociation : the Official Journal of the International Society for the Study of Dissociation (ISSD)·Ariel J Lang, Maria A Gartstein
Apr 21, 2021·Suicide & Life-threatening Behavior·Jessica M LaCroixMarjan Ghahramanlou-Holloway
Jun 21, 2021·Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry·Carolyn B AllardUNKNOWN PROGrESS Study Team
Jul 12, 2021·Journal of Psychiatric Research·Philip HeldNiranjan S Karnik
Aug 25, 2021·Journal of Personality Disorders·Jared R RuchenskyMichelle B Stein

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