Do older veterans experience change in posttraumatic cognitions following treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder?

ABSTRACT:

Objective

It is unclear whether PTSD treatments improve negative posttraumatic cognitions (NPCs) and if changes in NPCs mediate treatment outcomes in older veterans. The current study examined if prolonged exposure therapy (PE) and relaxation therapy (RT) reduce NPCs over time in older adult veterans with PTSD.

Method

This study analyzed data from a randomized controlled trial of 86 older male veterans with PTSD randomized to PE or RT. The Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI; Foa et al., 1999), which includes a total score and three subscales, Negative Cognitions of the Self (Self), Negative Cognitions of the World (World), and Self-Blame (Blame), was used to assess NPCs at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up.

Results

Changes in NPCs differed by tr

SUBMITTER: Wells SY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9639672 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature