Interventions to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Traumatic events are common globally, necessitating effective interventions to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Victims of trauma seek help across various clinical and emergency settings.
• This review focuses on psychological, pharmacologic, and emerging interventions for PTSD prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy and comparative effectiveness of interventions aimed at preventing PTSD.
• To evaluate the harms associated with these interventions.
• To identify best practices for treating trauma-exposed individuals.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search across multiple databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, etc.) from 1980 to 2012.
• Independent selection and data extraction by two reviewers.
• Assessment of study risk of bias and strength of evidence.

Main Results:

• Brief trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy showed moderate effectiveness in reducing PTSD symptom severity in acute stress disorder.
• Collaborative care was more effective than usual care in decreasing PTSD symptom severity post-injury (single study).
• Debriefing interventions were ineffective for civilian trauma in reducing PTSD incidence or severity.

Conclusions:

• Evidence for best practices in treating trauma-exposed individuals is limited.
• Brief cognitive behavioral therapy shows potential for reducing PTSD symptom severity in acute stress disorder.
• Collaborative care may help decrease post-injury symptom severity.