Psychological therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder

After exposure to traumatic stressors, a subgroup of survivors (20-30%) will develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Since the incidence and prevalence rates for PTSD in the community are significant, it is important that general practitioners and psychiatrists be familiar with possible therapeutic options. In this review we shall look at the published evidence about the effectiveness of psychological treatments for PTSD.

The psychopathological mechanisms involved in PTSD are discussed. Studies of the effectiveness of different psychological therapies are reviewed.

The review suggests that persistent fear or shame reactions are key aspects of PTSD. Evidence from systematic reviews suggests that psychotherapeutic treatments are effective in the therapy of reactions based on fear, and may increase the effectiveness of pharmacological therapy. There is less systematic evidence for the efficacy of interventions for symptoms based on shame.

Although a proportion of patients with complex or chronic PTSD may require specialist interventions, most patients can be treated effectively by a general psychiatric service which can offer both pharmacological and psychological interventions.