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Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling

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Changes in posttraumatic cognitions predict changes in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms during cognitive

Jeremiah A Schumm¹, Benjamin D Dickstein¹, Kristen H Walter²

¹Cincinnati VA Medical Center.

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

|July 28, 2015

Summary

Changes in trauma-related thinking patterns significantly impact posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms in veterans undergoing cognitive processing therapy (CPT). Reducing depression may also be key to improving PTSD outcomes.

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Psychiatry
Clinical Psychology

Background:

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is an empirically supported treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The specific mechanisms through which CPT exerts its effects, particularly the role of trauma-related cognitions, require further investigation.
Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for optimizing PTSD treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the longitudinal associations between trauma-related cognitions, PTSD symptoms, and depression symptoms in veterans receiving CPT.
To examine whether changes in cognitions precede changes in PTSD and depression, supporting CPT's proposed change mechanisms.

Main Methods:

A sample of 195 veterans diagnosed with PTSD participated in a 7-week residential treatment program.
Data on trauma-related cognitions, PTSD, and depression were collected at pre-, mid-, and post-treatment using validated self-report measures.
Cross-lagged panel models were employed to analyze the temporal relationships between variables.

Main Results:

Reductions in posttraumatic cognitions, specifically self-blame and negative self-beliefs, preceded reductions in PTSD symptoms.
Changes in negative self-beliefs also preceded changes in depression.
Interestingly, changes in depression were found to precede changes in both self-blame cognitions and PTSD symptoms.

Conclusions:

The findings support the hypothesized mechanism of CPT, demonstrating that improvements in trauma-related cognitions lead to reductions in PTSD symptoms.
The results suggest that addressing depression is an important factor that may influence the reduction of PTSD symptoms in veterans undergoing intensive treatment.