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Prolonged Exposure Therapy With Veterans and Active Duty Personnel Diagnosed With PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury
Author(s) -
Wolf Gregory K.,
Kretzmer Tracy,
Crawford Eric,
Thors Christina,
Wagner H. Ryan,
Strom Thad Q.,
Eftekhari Afsoon,
Klenk Megan,
Hayward Laura,
Vanderploeg Rodney D.
Publication year - 2015
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.22029
Subject(s) - veterans affairs , beck depression inventory , depression (economics) , medicine , traumatic brain injury , active duty , psychiatry , injury prevention , poison control , occupational safety and health , outpatient clinic , checklist , physical therapy , military personnel , emergency medicine , psychology , anxiety , political science , law , economics , cognitive psychology , macroeconomics , pathology
Abstract The present study used archival clinical data to analyze the delivery and effectiveness of prolonged exposure (PE) and ancillary services for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn veterans ( N = 69) with histories of mild to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Data from standard clinical assessments of veterans and active duty personnel treated in both inpatient and outpatient programs at 2 Department of Veteran Affairs medical centers were examined. Symptoms were assessed with self‐report measures of PTSD (PTSD Checklist) and depression (Beck Depression Inventory‐II) before and throughout therapy. Mixed linear models were utilized to determine the slope of reported symptoms throughout treatment, and the effects associated with fixed factors such as site, treatment setting (residential vs. outpatient), and TBI severity were examined. Results demonstrated significant decreases in PTSD, B = −3.00, 95% CI [−3.22, −2.78]; t( 210) = −13.5; p < .001, and in depressive symptoms, B = −1.46, 95% CI [−1.64, −1.28]; t( 192) = −8.32; p < .001. The effects of PE treatment did not differ by clinical setting and participants with moderate to severe injuries reported more rapid gains than those with a history of mild TBI. The results provide evidence that PE may well be effective for veterans with PTSD and TBI.