Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Adult Survivors of Early Chronic Interpersonal Trauma

Treatment of PTSD in Adult Survivors of Early Chronic Interpersonal Trauma

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and trauma-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy (TF-CBT) have both been found to be effective in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following single-event traumas and to be more effective than pure anxiety management or stabilization treatments. However, much less is known about the efficacy of the different treatment approaches in survivors of repeated or chronic interpersonal trauma. Recent evidence suggests that a combination of stabilization treatment + TF-CBT is efficacious in this population. Although EMDR is also often used in survivors of chronic interpersonal trauma, evidence on its efficacy are still poor. The aim of the current study is to compare the efficacy of (1) stabilization + TF-CBT and (2) stabilization + EMDR using a randomized controlled trial in a routine clinical setting.

Inclusion Criteria:

• meeting DSM-IV criteria for PTSD
• having experienced repeated or chronic interpersonal trauma (e.g., sexual or physical abuse)
• at least 18 years of age
• having sufficient fluency in Dutch to complete treatment and research protocol
• participants using prescribed anti-depressant medication are required to be on a stable dose for at least 2 weeks before the beginning of treatment and remain on this dose throughout the treatment.

Exclusion Criteria:

• psychiatric problems that may interfere with the study participation or that require more intensive care than can be offered in the present study, including dementia, psychotic symptoms, depression with suicidal ideation, full-blown borderline personality disorder, substance dependence
• current use of tranquilizers