[Evidence-based psychotherapy of posttraumatic stress syndrome-An update]

The aim of this article is to summarize the current state of research on the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The results of current meta-analyses and trend-setting individual studies are summarized and the most important forms of intervention are explained.

The psychotherapeutic treatment methods for PTSD are very effective, the effect sizes are large and superior to those of pharmacotherapy. Trauma exposure and cognitive restructuring are most effective. Trauma-focused procedures are generally superior to other forms of psychotherapy. A range of different cognitive behavioral procedures as well as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing are recommended. The most recent initial findings confirm a very good effectiveness for imagery rescripting methods as protective interventions without a formal confrontation with trauma. Individual therapy works better than group psychotherapy. In the group setting cognitive processing therapy has proven to be the best intervention. Trauma-focused treatment should also be used when comorbid conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or addiction are present.

Trauma-focused psychotherapy in an individual setting is the treatment of choice for PTSD. A large selection of effective methods and well-reviewed manuals are available. The German language S3 guidelines are currently being updated.