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The impact of sudden gains in cognitive behavioral therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder
Author(s) -
Kelly Kacie A.,
Rizvi Shireen L.,
Monson Candice M.,
Resick Patricia A.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.20427
Subject(s) - posttraumatic stress , depression (economics) , cognition , psychology , severity of illness , anxiety disorder , cognitive behavioral therapy , clinical psychology , psychiatry , medicine , anxiety , economics , macroeconomics
Abstract This study investigated sudden gains, i.e., rapid and stable improvements, in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms that may occur in cognitive–behavioral therapy. Twenty‐nine of 72 participants (39.2%) experienced a sudden gain during treatment. Mixed model ANOVAs analyzed sudden gains impact on clinician‐rated PTSD symptom severity, patient‐rated PTSD symptom severity, and patient‐rated depressive symptom severity. Sudden gains in PTSD symptomology were associated with greater reductions in PTSD symptom severity for the avoidance/numbing and hyperarousal symptom clusters at posttreatment. By 6‐month follow‐up, the sudden gains group had maintained those reductions in symptoms, but the nonsudden gains group had achieved equal reductions in symptom severity. Participants experiencing sudden gains on PTSD measures had lower depression severity at posttreatment and follow‐up.