Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Summary

The studies that have been completed on the treatment effectiveness of combat related PTSD were done on already discharged veterans and the effect sizes have been significant lower than those of civilian studies. There are many different reasons as to why there are differences between the studies on civilians and combat veterans. The first is that combat trauma is unique and more difficult to treat compared to civilian trauma. The second reason that could potentially explain the difference is that in the studies currently the treatment was for veterans who were exposed to the combat trauma decades before that. The third reason is that there are often significant comorbid conditions among veterans (Peterson et al.,

Evidence points to CPT’s efficacy as a psychological treatment for PTSD and has demonstrated potential to decrease symptoms of depression and guilt. Although more research is needed to determine the effectiveness of CPT with various populations, both the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs are recommending CPT as an evidence-based treatment for PTSD. A major benefit of CPT the gains are noticeable in a very short period. The rapid response to treatment is particularly important to military and active-duty populations for whom time may be limited (Keane TM, Marshall AD, Taft

I will be collaborating with The National Institute of Mental Health for the funding of the research project. The research will attempt to identify what factors determine whether someone with PTSD will respond well to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) intervention, aiming to develop more personalized, effective and efficient treatments. The mission of this project is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery, and cure (National Institutes of Health, 2013).

Although American service members have felt the lasting effects of combat throughout the history of the nation, it was not until 1980 that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was formally added to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Once referred to as “irritable heart” or “shell-shock,” PTSD made its way into the national spotlight in the years following the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan due to U.S. military members having difficulty reintegrating into civilian life. High rates of suicide, depression, and elevated levels of violent crime within the veteran community made the need to find an effective treatment of this disorder a top priority for the Veterans Health Administration. While it is widely accepted by medical professionals that there is no single, definitive cure for PTSD, many different methods have been cultivated within the past 15 years that make coping with it an easier process; some to a greater extent than others. While medications, namely antidepressants and benzodiazepines, usually find themselves at the forefront of any discussion regarding mental debilitation, they are not a one-size-fits-all solution to the problems that combat veterans face. As this particular disorder is attached to a certain memory or traumatic occurrence, alternative methods of rehabilitation such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE) have also shown promise in

When someone hears about Post Traumatic Stress disorder, they assume it only affects those in active duty or military veterans. However, it can affects those who have seen natural disasters, severe child abuse and horrible events. The national comorbidity survey replications did a survey on how many people in the US have PTSD they say, “(NCS-R), conducted between February 2001 and April 2003, comprised interviews of a nationally representative sample of 9,282 Americans aged 18 years and older. PTSD was assessed among 5,692 participants, using DSM-IV criteria. The NCS-R estimated the lifetime prevalence of PTSD among adult Americans to be 6.8% (1). Current past year PTSD prevalence was estimated at 3.5% (2).The lifetime prevalence of PTSD among men was 3.6% and among women was 9.7%.

School-based social work and school psychology clinicians delivered CBITS in both trials. The studies showed improvements in post-traumatic stress and depressive symptoms among students who had been exposed to violence. Additionally, data was collected from students, parents, and teachers at baseline, three months, and six months for a randomized controlled trial conducted by the RAND Corporation and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (RAND, 2011). The RAND study found there were no significant differences between the early intervention and late-intervention groups at the start of the program. At three months, students in the early intervention group had completed the program; students in the late-intervention group had not yet begun. The early intervention students showed substantial improvement. The magnitude of the difference between the two groups means that 86% of the early-intervention group reported less severe symptoms of post-traumatic stress than would have been expected without intervention (RAND, 2011). In addition, CBITS was also associated with improved school performance. Parents of students in the early-intervention group reported that their children were functioning significantly better in school. At

Prior to CBT, the participants in the study (Resick et al., 2012) completed PTSD symptom scale, self-report measure, and diagnostic interviews. They then received a total of 13 hours CBT, achieved through twice weekly sessions. Finally, they took the posttest assessments, then long-term posttest assessments 5-10 years after completing the study. At posttest, the sample went from 100% diagnosed with PTSD to 22.2% in the long-term follow-up. This data supports that CBT helped a significant portion of this group of female sexual assault survivors reduce their symptoms to the point that they no longer meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD, and the results were lasting for most, with only two who relapsed (Resick et al., 2012)

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) was stablished by Congress in 2000 and brings a comprehensive focus to childhood trauma. This network raises the average standard of care and improves access to services for traumatized children, their families and communities throughout the United States. The NCTSN defines trauma‑focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF‑CBT) as an evidence‑based treatment approach that is shown to help children, adolescents, and their caregivers overcome trauma‑related difficulties. It is designed to reduce negative emotional and behavioral responses following a traumatic event. The treatment addresses distorted beliefs related to the abuse and provides a supportive environment so the individual can talk about their traumatic experience. TF‑CBT also helps parents cope with their own emotional issues and develop skills to support their children.

One of the most common treatment options for PTSD is cognitive behavior therapy. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is a therapy in which one recognizes the ways of thinking that keep them stuck and tries to work through it. One of the first steps in CBT is being aware of your thoughts and feelings and understanding what is triggering the PTSD. Those who suffer from PTSD often blame themselves for what happened, and feel that if they would have done something different they could have changed the outcome. In CBT, one goes through their thoughts to see whether or not they are accurate. The blame that one feels is an inaccurate thought that is causing distress. During therapy, the goals is not to change what happened, but alter what one tells themself about the event in a positive way to decrease the PTSD symptoms. By doing this the PTSD symptoms slowly disappear and the results start to show. Michael Phillips and Shirley Wang wrote in their newspaper article that various studies show two-thirds of the people who complete CBT have alleviated their PTSD symptoms (Phillips and Wang 2). This shows that over half of the people who receive CBT treatment show signs of improvement. CBT is covered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and is one of the treatments that are most highly

To effectively treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD in combat Veterans and service members, therapists use different techniques, which are preceded by addressing any underlying pain associated with the disorder. In their research, Chard et al. (2011) reported significant modifications to the CPT protocol for use with patients in a TBI-PTSD residential treatment facility, including increasing the number of sessions per week, combining group and individual therapy, and augmenting the treatment with cognitive rehabilitation. However, their research was marred with the use of few participants which provides doubts regarding the outcome of the proposed treatment procedures. Moreover, the researchers do not state with certainty as to the

Kar, Nilamadhab. “Cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: a review.” Cibi.nlm.gov. National Center for Biotechnical Information, 2011. Web. 21 July, 2016.

A study done by the National Institute of Health discusses in an article named “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Evidence Based Research Third Millennium” about the adverse effects of PTSD and the Veteran demographic who have been primarily affected by this medical issue (“Evidence Based PTSD,” 2005). The study/article goes on to explain other demographics of people that have been affected by PTSD like, products of child abuse, products of spousal abuse, products of car accidents or life threatening accidents. The unfortunate stigma of PTSD is that we as a society have only

According to the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD, “about eight percent of veterans have seen significant decreases in their post traumatic stress disorder symptoms over the past decades, however sixteen percent had their symptoms become significantly worse”(Handwerk 2). If double the percentage of veterans who experience their symptoms get better, are having their symptoms worsen over time then obviously the treatments for the disease are not properly working. Even though some anti depressant medicine is prescribed to help ease the symptoms, the most common form of treatment for post traumatic stress disorder is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). The most common form of CBT is Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) in which veterans learn to “understand how the trauma changed their thoughts and feelings” (What is PTSD? 3). Psychologist who treat veterans feel that “avoiding fears and trauma perpetuates problems, rather than processes them” which means that by pretending their trauma never happened will lead to the disease worsening, however

There are several strengths that should be noted within this research design. By using purposive sampling, we are purposively studying veterans that are receiving services at the VA whom are diagnosed with PTSD. This is a strength because we are gaining knowledge on a specific population that has not been studied in depth, thus our research will hopefully shed light on the lack of treatment options that veterans at the VA have access to. By splitting the veterans into two separate groups with one group receiving EMDR and the other receiving CBT, we will be able to identify which therapy option is working more effectively. By using the CAPS-5 as our standardized measurement, we are able to identify whether or not CBT/EMDR therapy is successful

PTSD has been examining that cognitive behavioural therapy is a highly-proven treatment for post traumatic stress disorder. This book states that psychotherapy is one of the main treatments that a PTSD suffering victim should do. The first chapter presents some considerations in planning treatment. The boo review the DSM-IV diagnostic and gives numerous validated tools that can be used in potential application for clinical practise. It also discusses specialized treatments for PTSD, it reviews some of the current evidence for medical treatment of PTSD. It gives reviews for treatments about PTSD in children, however there is no literature supporting this. The weakness of this book is that although it gives many treatments that can be considered