Mental health articles

Approaches to Treating PTSD

Psychosocial and neurobiological models of PTSD have influenced the development of clinical interventions for this disorder (Fairbank, Friedman, & Basoglu, in press; Southwick & Friedman, in press). Among the main approaches to treating PTSD that are conceptually linked to these models are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, pharmacotherapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

Other approaches used to address the psychological sequelae of potentially traumatic experiences are family and marital therapy, supportive psychotherapy, inpatient and milieu therapy, professional and self-help group therapies, hypnotherapy, pastoral counseling, and interventions based on community psychology and public health models of prevention (e.g., education, debriefing, crisis counseling, early intervention). This section provides a selective overview of interventions that have been used, separately and in combination, to treat people with PTSD. Emphasis is placed on summarizing the results of treatment outcome studies for those interventions that have been evaluated empirically.

Tags: PTSD, treatments