The treatment of post‐traumatic stress disorder

Bibliographic Data

ID9618771
AuthorsAlexander C Mcfarlane (0000-0002-3829-9509, Flinders University, corresponding author)
Year1989
Volume62
Issue1
Pages81-90
Publication date1989-03-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Journal of Medical Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0007-1129 • E-ISSN: 2056-5194
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.2044-8341.1989.tb02813.x
PMID2706201
OpenAlexW2060863623
LanguageEN
Citations received7

This report reviews treatment studies of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Much of the literature is descriptive and concentrates on particular treatment modalities without attempting to integrate these different approaches into the wider body of knowledge about PTSD. No study has randomly assigned patients to experimental and control groups. The treatment of 56 patients with PTSD is described, highlighting issues which influence the choice of approach and focus of therapy. These issues are seldom mentioned in the PTSD literature and include the unusual difficulties involved in developing a therapeutic alliance, the role of non‐specific elements and the treatment of coexistent psychiatric disorders which are frequently present. The need to consider separately the degree of disturbed attention and arousal, the nature of the traumatic preoccupation and the patient's social and occupational functioning are stressed. The lack of knowledge about the natural history of PTSD and the different effectiveness of treatments in the acute and chronic stages are other uncertainties about the treatment of PTSD. Consideration of these points has led to a series of recommendations for future studies of the treatment of PTSD

Alliance · Arousal · Modalities · Psychiatry · Psychotherapist · Traumatic stress · Treatment modality · Clinical Psychology · Medicine · Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research · Psychology · Social Psychology

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