Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 29, 2025
08:20
Simultaneous Application of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation during Virtual Reality Exposure
Published on: January 18, 2021
4.1K
Treating posttraumatic stress disorder at home in a single week using 1-week virtual massed cognitive processing
Philip Held1, Merdijana Kovacevic1, Kelsey Petrey1
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Illinois, USA.
Journal of Traumatic Stress
|March 26, 2022
Summary
This study found that a 1-week virtual massed Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) program significantly reduced posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms in trauma survivors. These improvements were maintained at three months, showing the feasibility and effectiveness of this telehealth intervention.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Telehealth
Background:
- Massed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatments show comparable efficacy to standard weekly formats.
- Massed Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) has primarily been studied in veterans with adjunctive services, not as a standalone virtual intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a 1-week massed CPT program delivered virtually.
- To assess symptom reduction and maintenance in a community sample of trauma-exposed individuals.
Main Methods:
- An open-label, single-arm study involving 24 trauma-exposed individuals.
- Participants received CPT twice daily for 5 consecutive days via telehealth.
- Symptom reduction was measured using clinician-rated and self-reported scales.
Main Results:
- High treatment completion rate (95.8%) with no reported adverse events.
- Significant reductions in clinician-rated (d = 2.01) and self-reported (d = 2.55) PTSD symptoms.
- Substantial reductions in self-reported depressive symptoms (d = 1.46), maintained at 3-month follow-up.
Conclusions:
- One-week virtual massed CPT is a feasible and effective standalone treatment for PTSD.
- This telehealth approach offers rapid, sustained symptom relief for trauma survivors.
- Virtual massed CPT can potentially improve access to effective trauma treatment.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
133
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that arises following exposure to traumatic events such as natural disasters, forced displacement, or severe accidents. It significantly impairs individuals' ability to cope with daily activities and disrupts their emotional and psychological equilibrium.
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events,...
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events,...
133
01:24Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders
304
Treatment approaches for psychological disorders fall into three main categories: psychological, biological, and sociocultural. Each approach targets different aspects of mental health, requiring varying levels of education and training.
Psychological therapies focus on modifying emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, challenging, and modeling. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers commonly practice psychotherapy. Clinical...
Psychological therapies focus on modifying emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, challenging, and modeling. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers commonly practice psychotherapy. Clinical...
304
01:25Cognitive Therapy
477
Cognitive therapy, pioneered by Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s, is a structured approach to addressing psychological distress by focusing on the influence of thoughts on emotions and behaviors. All cognitive therapies involve the basic assumption that human beings have control over their feelings, and that how individuals feel about something depends on how they think about it. Unlike psychoanalytic methods that delve into unconscious processes or humanistic approaches emphasizing...
477
01:26Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques IV
66
Stress often leads to unhealthy habits like smoking, excessive drinking, and overeating, which offer short-term relief but ultimately increase long-term health risks. These behaviors create a cycle that temporarily lowers stress levels but can result in severe long-term health consequences. Breaking these habits is essential to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and improve overall well-being. Three primary changes that support better health include quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake,...
66
01:22Behavior Therapy
128
Behavior therapy incorporates diverse techniques rooted in classical conditioning principles to address maladaptive behaviors and anxiety disorders. These methods aim to reduce avoidance behaviors, foster adaptive coping mechanisms, and alter associations between stimuli and responses, making them effective in a wide range of therapeutic contexts.
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
128
01:25Interpersonal Psychotherapy
108
Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is a structured, time-limited therapeutic approach initially developed to treat depression. It integrates key concepts from psychodynamic, humanistic, and cognitive-behavioral therapies, making it a uniquely eclectic framework. The therapy is rooted in the interpersonal theories of Adolph Meyer and Harry Stack Sullivan, as well as John Bowlby's attachment theory, and focuses on the interplay between interpersonal relationships and emotional well-being.
108