Treating PTSD Associated with Childhood Abuse

Scores of treatment studies have investigated post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with trauma in adulthood. Far fewer have focused on PTSD resulting from childhood abuse, which, some researchers suggest, results in “complex PTSD,” frequently associated with personality disorders and difficult to treat. In a randomized controlled trial, investigators enrolled 104 women with histories of early and chronic childhood abuse. They compared a combination treatment consisting of a preparatory phase of skills training in emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness followed by exposure (skills training/exposure) versus two control conditions: supportive counseling followed by exposure (support/exposure) and skills training followe…