Exposure in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A review of the literature revealed that several well-controlled outcome studies found prolongedexposure effective in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, all these studieswere based on either American or British samples. The present study, therefore, investigated theeffectiveness of exposure treatment for PTSD in a South African sample of female survivors of sexualviolence. Fifteen patients participated in manualized exposure treatment, consisting of nine sessions of90 minutes each, while 14 patients served as delayed treatment controls. Results showed thatprolonged exposure significantly reduced all the PTSD symptom clusters (re-experiencing, avoidance,and arousal) from pretreatment to post-treatment, and that this improvement was maintained at followupafter three months. At the end of treatment no treated patient met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD,as assessed by an independent, blind evaluator by means of the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale.The untreated controls all retained the diagnosis of PTSD. The results also showed a gradual reductionin posttraumatic stress symptoms and the associated symptoms of depression, anxiety anddysfunctional cognitions from sessions two to four, again from four to six, and again from sessions sixto eight. In addition, based on four case studies, there were indications that prolonged exposuretreatment also facilitated a reduction in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) bilaterally in the superiorand mid frontal regions, as well as mixed bilateral changes in perfusion in the cerebellum and parietooccipitalregions.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University