Pilot testing a manualized equine-facilitated cognitive processing therapy (EF-CPT) intervention for PTSD in veterans

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Veterans Affairs
• Mental Health Treatment

Background:

• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) significantly impacts veterans' well-being.
• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a recognized treatment for PTSD.
• There is a need for innovative and effective PTSD interventions for veterans.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of equine-facilitated cognitive processing therapy (EF-CPT) for veterans with PTSD.
• To assess the impact of EF-CPT on PTSD symptoms, trauma-related guilt, and the therapeutic alliance.
• To examine treatment feasibility, including attrition rates and model fidelity.

Main Methods:

• A pretest-posttest design was used with 27 veterans diagnosed with PTSD.
• Participants received 12 individual sessions of manualized EF-CPT.
• Standardized measures including the PTSD Checklist (PCL) and Trauma Related Guilt Inventory (TRGI) were administered.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in PCL and TRGI scores (p ≤ .001).
• High scores on the Human Animal Bond Scale (HABS) and Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) indicated a positive therapeutic relationship.
• A low attrition rate of 7% was recorded, with good model fidelity.

Conclusions:

• Manualized equine-facilitated cognitive processing therapy (EF-CPT) demonstrates promise as an effective and well-tolerated treatment for veterans with PTSD.
• EF-CPT integrates equine-facilitated activities into standard CPT, offering a novel therapeutic approach.
• The findings support the feasibility and potential efficacy of EF-CPT in clinical settings for veterans.