The perspectives of personalizing therapy for PTSD based on coping strategies

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can arise following exposure to deeply upsetting events, such as violence, natural disasters, military conflicts, or situations posing a threat to one's life. Although our knowledge of PTSD mechanisms has expanded, therapeutic approaches remain challenging, due to the diverse symptoms profile and the limited benefit of current treatment strategies of PTSD. Recent studies have documented an interaction between coping strategies and the development of PTSD. The current review aims to provide the available evidence for the impact of coping strategies in the development and treatment of PTSD. The present results indicate that coping strategies have an important role in the pathogenesis and treatment of PTSD. Adaptive strategies increase resilience and facilitate recovery, while maladaptive strategies contribute to chronicity and treatment resistance. However, the relationships observed between cognitive coping strategies and PTSD outcomes have remained under discussion. The next investigations with focus on a combination of pharmacotherapy with different coping strategies could be a beneficial for personalized therapy of PTSD.