Cognitive processing therapy for veterans with military-related posttraumatic stress disorder.

TLDR

Sixty veterans with chronic military‑related PTSD completed a wait‑list controlled trial of cognitive processing therapy. CPT produced significant reductions in PTSD and comorbid symptoms, with 40 % no longer meeting PTSD criteria, 50 % showing reliable improvement, a 16.6 % dropout rate, and no association with disability status, underscoring its strong efficacy for chronic PTSD in veterans.

Abstract

Sixty veterans (54 men, 6 women) with chronic military-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) participated in a wait-list controlled trial of cognitive processing therapy (CPT). The overall dropout rate was 16.6% (20% from CPT, 13% from waiting list). Random regression analyses of the intention-to-treat sample revealed significant improvements in PTSD and comorbid symptoms in the CPT condition compared with the wait-list condition. Forty percent of the intention-to-treat sample receiving CPT did not meet criteria for a PTSD diagnosis, and 50% had a reliable change in their PTSD symptoms at posttreatment assessment. There was no relationship between PTSD disability status and outcomes. This trial provides some of the most encouraging results of PTSD treatment for veterans with chronic PTSD and supports increased use of cognitive- behavioral treatments in this population.