Randomized Clinical Trial Pilot Study of Prolonged Exposure Versus Present Fcentred affect regulation therapy for PTSD and anger problems with male military combat veterans

• NCJ Number: 253216
• Journal: Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy Volume: 25 Issue: 5 Dated: 2018 Pages: 641-649
• Date Published: 2018
• Author(s): Julian D. Ford; Damion J. Grasso; Carolyn A. Greene; Michelle Slivinski; Jason C. Deviva
• Length: 9 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2009-D1-BX-0299
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Program/Project Evaluation

Annotation

This article reports on a randomized controlled trial pilot study (www.ClinicalTrials.org; NCT01228539) with N = 31 U.S. male military recent combat veterans with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and severe anger problems that compared 10 session individual therapy versions of Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy (TARGET) with prolonged exposure (PE).

Abstract

The study found that TARGET had fewer dropouts than PE (i.e., 29 percent vs. 64 percent). At post test, improvements were found for both interventions in increased emotion regulation and hope, and reduced PTSD symptoms, hostility, experiential avoidance, and mental health problems. At a 4 month follow up, comparable proportions (approximately 40 percent) of recipients in each therapy maintained clinically significant gains. Self rated expectancy of therapeutic outcome and working alliance was comparable for both PE and TARGET early in therapy, at mid treatment, and at the end of treatment. Although preliminary, these results suggest that TARGET may be a viable therapeutic option for male military veterans with PTSD and anger problems. (publisher abstract modified)