Military PTSD: All Psychotherapeutic Roads Might Lead to Rome but They Need Repaving

Treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in active military personnel remains challenging. No controlled studies on the currently recommended trauma-focused psychotherapies exist, and time constraints can make psychotherapy difficult to pursue. In a randomized, controlled study of 366 active-duty military with PTSD and a combat-related traumatic event, researchers compared effectiveness of 2 weeks of “massed” exposure therapy (total of 10 daily sessions; n=110), a 4-week minimal-contact control (MCC; 15-minute, weekly phone call; n=40), and 8 weeks of “spaced” exposure (total of 10 sessions; n=109). Spaced exposure was also compared with present-centered therapy (PCT; n=107), a problem-solving supportive control therapy.

On the primary…