Group Exposure Therapy Treatment for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Female Veterans
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-2012
Keywords
Group exposure therapy model, Post-traumatic stress disorder
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-12-00186
Abstract
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the application of a group exposure therapy model, the content of which consisted solely of repeated imaginal exposure during sessions, in a clinical sample of female veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Establishing group delivery of exposure therapy will expand options, increase efficiency, and introduce group curative factors. Methods: Eighty-eight female veterans with PTSD completed a six-session exposure group, three participants per group, as a component of a larger treatment program. The PTSD symptom checklist (PCL) was used as the outcome measure and administered in each session. Results: Pre/post-paired t-tests showed significant improvement in PTSD on the PCL, with 40% of completers showing at least a 10-point drop in the PCL scores. In addition, a repeated measures analysis of variance showed a significant main effect and a significant quadratic equation, with expected initial increases in the PCL followed by a decrease below baseline at session 6. Conclusions: The group exposure treatment protocol showed positive outcomes on PTSD symptoms in a real-world clinical sample of female veterans. The implications include an expansion of exposure treatment choices for veterans with PTSD and increased options for therapists.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Military Medicine, v. 177, issue 12, p.1486-1491
Scholar Commons Citation
Castillo, Diane T.; Cde'Baca, Janet; Qualls, Clifford; and Bornovalova, Marina A., "Group Exposure Therapy Treatment for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Female Veterans" (2012). Psychology Faculty Publications. 105.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/psy_facpub/105
