Current Research on Matching Trauma-Focused Therapies to Veterans: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Military Health

Background:

• Trauma-focused therapies (TFTs) like Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) are common for military veterans with PTSD.
• Predictors for the success of these TFTs in veterans remain inconclusive.
• Existing research has not definitively established optimal treatment matching strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if TFTs can be matched to veterans for improved outcomes.
• To identify potential contraindications and necessary adaptations of TFTs for veterans.
• To highlight literature gaps for future research directions.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review of
• white
• and
• gray
• literature was conducted.
• 187 sources were included after screening 4963 unique items.
• Data were extracted and synthesized using a narrative summary to identify themes and gaps.

Main Results:

• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE) were the most studied TFTs.
• These therapies demonstrated moderate effect sizes, indicating partial effectiveness.
• Attrition rates were higher for PE compared to CPT, and study quality varied.

Conclusions:

• Significant knowledge gaps persist in the literature regarding TFTs for veterans with PTSD, particularly in treatment matching.
• Future research should investigate effectiveness using diverse outcomes, longer durations, and combination therapies.
• Exploring outcomes beyond PTSD symptoms, such as functioning and resilience, is recommended.