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Overview of Psychotherapy for PTSD

Overview of Psychotherapy for PTSD

Sonya Norman, PhD, Jessica Hamblen, PhD, & Paula P. Schnurr, PhD

The revised Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense (VA/DoD) Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (2023), as well as other clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of PTSD, recommends 3 specific trauma-focused psychotherapies, Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), as the most effective treatments for PTSD.

In This Article

Individual Trauma-Focused Psychotherapy Recommended Over Other Treatments for PTSDTrauma-Focused PsychotherapiesOther Psychotherapies With Sufficient Evidence to Recommend for the Treatment of PTSDTherapies With Insufficient Evidence to Recommend for the Treatment of PTSDAdding or Removing Components of Evidence-Based Treatments Is Not RecommendedConclusionReferences

Individual Trauma-Focused Psychotherapy Recommended Over Other Treatments for PTSD

The VA/DoD CPG (2023) recommends treating PTSD using individual trauma-focused psychotherapy (specifically PE, CPT, EMDR) over medications based on the current state of the PTSD treatment research (1). Although there have been few direct head-to-head comparisons of trauma-focused psychotherapy and a first-line medication for treating PTSD, a recent meta-analysis by Merz and colleagues (2019) examined comparative effectiveness studies and concluded there was greater benefit of psychological treatments (2). Two prior meta-analyses that compared the treatment effects of psychotherapies and pharmacotherapies (3,4) also showed that trauma-focused psychotherapies lead to greater improvement in PTSD symptoms than medications, and that these improvements last longer. Restricting the studies to the subset that included active controls did not change the results. In addition, the risks for negative side effects or negative reactions are generally greater with medication than with psychotherapy. A notable exception was a recent randomized controlled trial (RCT) that compared PE to sertraline and the combination (PE + sertraline) and found no differences. However, in that study medication management was more extensive than typical medication management (5).

Continuing Education

Clinical Practice Guideline for PTSD 2023: Psychotherapy Recommendations

The course reviews the 2023 VA/DoD guideline, explaining the CPG development process.

Individual trauma-focused psychotherapies may not be available in all settings and not all patients choose to engage in these treatments. In such cases, the CPG recommends certain individual, manualized psychotherapies (specifically, Cognitive Therapy (6), Written Exposure Therapy [WET], and Present Centered Therapy [PCT]; see below) or using medication (specifically, sertraline, paroxetine or venlafaxine; see Clinician's Guide to Medications for PTSD). There are no data to guide whether medication or non-trauma-focused psychotherapy is more effective in cases where trauma-focused psychotherapy is unavailable or not desired. Results of meta-analyses suggest that either one can reduce PTSD symptoms (2-4).

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Trauma-Focused Psychotherapies

The CPG defines trauma-focused psychotherapy as therapy that uses cognitive, emotional, or behavioral techniques to facilitate processing a traumatic event and in which the trauma focus is a central component of the therapeutic process (4). The trauma-focused psychotherapies with the strongest evidence from clinical trials are PE, CPT, and EMDR (7-15). These treatments have been tested in numerous clinical trials, in patients with complex presentations and comorbidities, in comparison to active control conditions, and with long-term follow-up designs. Furthermore, these treatments have been validated by research teams other than the developers. There are other psychotherapies that meet the definition of trauma-focused treatment for which there is currently weak or insufficient evidence to recommend for or against their use (1).

Trauma-focused psychotherapies with the strongest evidence

The greatest number of studies have been conducted on exposure-based treatments, which involve having survivors repeatedly think about or re-tell their traumatic event. PE has received the most attention. PE includes both imaginal exposure and in vivo exposure to safe situations that have been avoided because they elicit traumatic reminders (16). In a multisite randomized controlled trial of PE in female Veterans and active-duty personnel with PTSD, those who received PE experienced greater reduction of PTSD symptoms relative to women who received Present-Centered Therapy and were less likely to meet PTSD diagnostic criteria (17). Moreover, PE was more effective than the combination of PE plus Stress Inoculation Training (SIT), SIT alone, or a waitlist control in female sexual assault survivors (18). In addition, PE alone and PE plus cognitive restructuring reduced PTSD and depression relative to a waitlist control in intention-to-treat and completer samples (19).

Continuing Education Course

Practical Applications of Trauma-Focused Psychotherapies

This course describes CPT, EMDR and PE, using a case vignette to illustrate the clinical delivery of each of these trauma-focused psychotherapies.

CPT (20), one of the most well-researched cognitive approaches, has a primary focus on challenging and modifying maladaptive beliefs related to the trauma, but can also include a written exposure component. Veterans with chronic military-related PTSD who received CPT showed better improvements in PTSD and comorbid symptoms than the waitlist control group (21). A dismantling study of CPT then examined the relative utility of the full protocol compared with its components: cognitive therapy alone and written exposure alone (22). Results indicated significant improvement in PTSD and depression for participants in all 3 treatments. However, the cognitive therapy alone resulted in faster improvement than the written exposure alone, with the effects of the full protocol of CPT falling in-between (22).

Patients receiving EMDR engage in imaginal exposure to a trauma while simultaneously performing saccadic eye movements. There is disagreement regarding the extent to which eye movements add to the effectiveness of EMDR. Two prior meta-analyses found no incremental effect for the eye movement component of EMDR (23,24). A more recent meta-analysis showed support for the effectiveness of eye movements, although the evidence was stronger for the impact of eye movement on self-reported distress than on PTSD symptoms (25).

CPT, PE and EMDR have shown great success in outcome research; thus, one logical research question involves whether one is more effective than the other. In a head-to-head comparison, CPT and PE were equally effective in treating PTSD and depression in female sexual assault survivors (26). Two well-controlled studies compared EMDR to PE. One study found equivalent results (27) while the other found PE to be superior (28). More information is needed to understand who benefits most from which of these evidence-based treatments. At this time, a patient-centered approach using shared decision-making with the patient and provider is recommended as the optimal way to choose among available treatments (1).

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Other Psychotherapies With Sufficient Evidence to Recommend for the Treatment of PTSD

There are several other trauma-specific manualized cognitive behavioral therapy protocols that are suggested to reduce symptoms of PTSD (6,29-36). For example, Ehlers and Clark (37) have developed a cognitive therapy for PTSD that involves 3 goals: modifying excessively negative appraisals, correcting autobiographical memory disturbances, and removing problematic behavioral and cognitive strategies. Elements unique to Ehlers and Clark's cognitive therapy include performing actions that are incompatible with the memory or engaging in behavioral experiments. Two randomized controlled trials that used clinician-rated PTSD outcomes compared cognitive therapy to a waitlist and to active control, both with positive results (34,38).

Written Exposure Therapy (WET) focuses on writing about the trauma memory (10,39). Over 5 sessions, patients come to the office and write about their trauma, with attention to details of the event and emotions experienced at the time. The writing is very briefly processed with the therapist during the subsequent session and there is no homework. WET has been shown to be superior to waitlist and non-inferior to CPT (10,39)

Present-Centered Therapy (PCT) is a suggested non-trauma focused alternative. PCT focuses on increasing adaptive responses to current life stressors and difficulties that are directly or indirectly related to trauma or PTSD symptoms. A systematic review of PCT that included 12 studies, found PCT was superior to waitlist and not non-inferior to trauma-focused psychotherapy; however, the effect for trauma-focused psychotherapy was superior to PCT. A potential advantage of PCT is the lower dropout rates as compared to other recommended trauma-focused therapies (40).

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Therapies With Insufficient Evidence to Recommend for the Treatment of PTSD

Other treatments may be effective; however, at this time there is not enough evidence to draw conclusions (1). These include Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Adaptive Disclosure (AD), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Brief Eclectic Psychotherapy (BEP), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), Impact on Killing (IoK), Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), Prolonged Exposure in Primary Care (PE-PC), psychodynamic therapy, psychoeducation, Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM), Seeking Safety (SS), Stress Inoculation Training (SIT), Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR), Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation in Primary Care (STAIR-PC), supportive counseling, Thought Field Therapy (TFT), Trauma-Informed Guilt Reduction (TRiGR), or Trauma Management Therapy.

In some cases, an individual may prefer PTSD treatment that includes attention focused on their intimate relationships. It is not yet known if a couples-based approach is as effective as individual trauma-focused therapy for PTSD. Overall, there is promising but limited evidence in support of trauma-focused couples therapy for PTSD (41,42).

Individuals may also be interested in group treatments. However, here too there is insufficient data to make a recommendation. A recent systematic review by Schwartze and colleagues (2019) found mixed results of trauma-focused groups to no treatment and no difference between non-trauma-focused treatments and no treatment controls. No group treatments were found to be superior to active controls nor was there benefit to adding group as an adjunctive treatment (43). One study found individual CPT was more effective than group CPT (44).

Some patients with PTSD will have an inadequate treatment response even after successful delivery of one or more courses of trauma-focused psychotherapy or other evidence-based treatments. There is no consensus in the literature on how to optimally approach the care of these patients. Patient preferences and clinical judgment are important in determining the best course of action in such cases.

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Adding or Removing Components of Evidence-Based Treatments Is Not Recommended

Some investigators have added a novel component to an effective treatment in hopes of further optimizing outcomes (45-50). Several studies have examined the potential benefits of adding cognitive restructuring to exposure, with 2 studies finding benefit (33,51) and 2 studies finding no benefit (19,35). A systematic review of these studies found no added benefit of cognitive restructuring for PTSD symptom severity, loss of PTSD diagnosis and depression symptoms (52). A dismantling study of CPT, which includes both a written trauma narrative as well as cognitive therapy, examined full CPT versus the separate narrative and cognitive components (22). The cognitive only group (known as CPT-C in the study) showed faster improvement during treatment on self-rated PTSD outcomes, but the treatments did not differ significantly at post-treatment on clinician-rated PTSD and other outcomes. Based on these findings, the CPT protocol has been modified so that the written narrative is optional, and the standard protocol (now referred to as CPT) includes the cognitive component only (53).

Based on this research, the CPG does not recommend adding or removing components from evidence-based psychotherapy protocols. If modifications to an established protocol (e.g., PE, CPT, EMDR) are clinically necessary, the modifications should be empirically and theoretically guided, and with understanding of the core components of trauma-focused psychotherapies considered most therapeutically active (1).

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Conclusion

Overall, PE, CPT and EMDR are the most highly recommended treatments for PTSD and have strong evidence bases. Components of these treatments have been combined with other interventions, with no support for improved benefits over the standard treatments alone. Other trauma-focused and non-trauma-focused psychotherapies can also help reduce symptoms of PTSD. More research is needed before drawing conclusions about the effectiveness of group and other psychotherapies.

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References

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  53. Resick, P. A., Monson, C. M., & Chard, K. M. (2106). Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD: A comprehensive manual. Guilford Publications.

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You May Also Be Interested In

VA.gov | Veterans Affairs (16)

VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for PTSD (2023)

Get information on evidence-based treatment recommendations for PTSD.

VA.gov | Veterans Affairs (17)

Clinician's Guide to Medications for PTSD

Get key information and guidance on the best medications for PTSD.

VA.gov | Veterans Affairs (18)

PTSD Consultation Program

Expert guidance for treating Veterans with PTSD.

VA.gov | Veterans Affairs (19)

PTSD Information Voice Mail: (802) 296-6300
Email: ncptsd@va.gov
Also see: VA Mental Health

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VA.gov | Veterans Affairs (2024)

FAQs

What not to say at a VA C&P exam? ›

What not to say at a C&P exam. The most vital thing not to do at your claim exam is to pretend your symptoms aren't as bad as they are. It's not the time to play tough. You don't want to exaggerate your symptoms, but you should be honest about how bad they are and exactly how they impact your life.

What is the 70-40 rule for VA disability? ›

To be eligible for schedular TDIU benefits, a veteran must have either: a single service-connected condition with a rating of at least 60 percent; or. (the 70/40 rule) at least two service-connected conditions with a combined rating of at least 70 percent, with at least one of the conditions rated 40 percent or higher.

What do I say to get a higher VA disability rating? ›

The Top Ways to Increase Your VA Disability Rating
  1. Seek treatment and obtain medical evidence to support the claim.
  2. Provide detailed documentation of all disabilities and how they affect daily living.
  3. Consider applying for secondary service connection for conditions related to existing disabilities.
Mar 23, 2023

When a husband dies, does the wife get his VA disability? ›

Unfortunately, your spouse cannot receive your VA disability compensation after you die. However, they may get a monthly allowance if they qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. If you lived in government housing, VA might also allow them to stay in residence for up to a year.

Is it okay to cry at the C&P exam? ›

It's not uncommon for veterans to experience strong emotions, such as crying during a C&P exam, especially when discussing traumatic events or mental health issues. This is a natural response and can be an important part of conveying the impact of your condition to the examiner.

What can the VA not prove? ›

No, there aren't any VA disability claims that cannot be proven. In fact, all VA claims must be proven on an “at least as likely as not” basis. If you have no evidence (no proof), your VA claim will be denied. Also, you must first ensure you're even eligible for VA disability benefits under the law.

What is the most common 100% VA disability? ›

Among the numerous disabilities veterans may experience, three stand out as the most prevalent: Tinnitus, Hearing Loss, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These conditions often have clear connections to military service, making them more likely to be approved for VA disability benefits.

What is the 100 VA disability rule? ›

What is the VA Disability 100% Rule? The VA disability 100 percent rule states that if a veteran is assigned a 100 percent rating, the rating cannot be reduced unless material evidence indicates that the veteran's service-connected condition has significantly improved.

What is the 5 year rule for VA disability? ›

The VA 5-year rule protects your disability claim by not allowing the VA to reduce your disability rating unless your condition has significantly improved over time. This rule pertains to a rating that has been in effect for five years or longer. After a five-year period, the rating is considered a stabilized rating.

What is the easiest disability to get from the VA? ›

What are the easiest VA disability claims to win?
  • Tinnitus. Tinnitus is characterized by hearing a humming, buzzing, hissing, or clicking in the ears when no external sound is present. ...
  • Musculoskeletal Conditions. ...
  • Mental Health Conditions. ...
  • Scars. ...
  • Presumptive Disorders. ...
  • Do You Need to Speak With a Veterans Benefits Lawyer?

What is the easiest way to get 100% VA disability? ›

The most direct and easiest way to get 100 VA disability is to have one service-connected disability that is 100 percent disabling. Examples of injuries that can qualify you for a 100 percent disability rating by themselves include the total loss of use of both feet, or of both hands, or of one hand and one foot.

What are the three new VA presumptive conditions? ›

What if VA denied my claim for bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, or Parkinsonism in the past? We added these conditions to the presumptive condition list in 2021. If we denied your claim for any of these conditions in the past, we'll automatically review your case again. You don't need to file another claim.

Who pays for the funeral when a veteran dies? ›

Veterans death benefits

A veterans burial allowance helps pay for transportation, funeral, and burial costs for an eligible veteran. If you qualify, the VA will repay a fixed amount for these costs.

When a veteran dies, is there a death benefit? ›

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a monthly benefit paid to the surviving spouse, children or parents of any veteran who passed away on or after Jan. 1, 1957.

How much does the widow of a 100% disabled veteran receive? ›

If your spouse dies with a 100% disability rating, you may be entitled to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). For 2024, the base rate of compensation for a surviving spouse is $1,612.75/month. Under certain circ*mstances, the spouse may be entitled to additional compensation.

How do I ace my C&P exam? ›

Tips for Your C&P Appointment
  1. Be prepared to answer. When your doctor asks “How are you?,” people are often programmed to answer “o*kay” or “Fine.” This isn't the time to make this claim. ...
  2. Prepare to be judged. ...
  3. Know the purpose of the exam. ...
  4. Stick to the facts. ...
  5. Be honest. ...
  6. Be punctual.

How do you beat the C&P exam? ›

What can I do to help make my C&P exam successful?
  1. Prepare for Your C&P exam ahead of time. ...
  2. Be upfront with your concerns and day-to-day issues. ...
  3. Explain about “bad days” and how often they occur. ...
  4. Get a copy of the C&P results. ...
  5. Bring someone close to you to the appointment. ...
  6. Remember that you might have multiple visits.
Mar 5, 2024

What is the C&P exam for anxiety? ›

Compensation & Pension (C&P) Exams for Anxiety

Veterans will typically meet with a VA doctor and discuss their medical history, time in service, and current condition. The VA examiner will also ask about the veteran's current symptomatology to determine the severity of their anxiety disorder.

How to dress for a C&P exam? ›

Dress as you would on a typical day. It's ok to wear jeans and a t-shirt if that's what you normally wear. If you dress up more than normal the VA may use that to say you are functioning more normally than you really are.

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