People may experience a range of reactions after trauma, and most people recover from initial symptoms over time. Learn about NIMH priority areas for research and funding that have the potential to improve mental health care over the short, medium, and long term. Studies have shown that higher motivation, particularly in self-referral cases, correlates with improved outcomes and reduced treatment duration (Gyani et al., 2013). For example, a study by Karyotaki et al. (2018) reported that personalized e-CBT interventions, which allow users to proceed at their own pace, significantly enhance user engagement and treatment adherence. Despite these advantages, ongoing oversight is necessary to address issues such as user attrition and to ensure that interventions remain effective and engaging over time (Donkin & Glozier, 2012; Urech et al., 2018). Attrition rates in digital therapy programs remain high, often due to the lack of human interaction.

CBT for PTSD in children and adolescents

• However, the traditional format of CBT can be limited in providing rapid emergency solutions, particularly for conditions like PNES, where adherence to treatment protocols is crucial (Baslet et al., 2015).
• The present review sought to establish the treatment efficacy of CBT and PDT approaches and considers the potential impact of selecting PDT‐based techniques over CBT‐based techniques for the treatment of PTSD.
• The flexibility in format, clinical type, content, functionality, and delivery methods makes these interventions highly adaptable to various user needs (Hermes et al., 2018).
• People with PTSD often have co-occurring conditions, such as depression, substance use, or one or more anxiety disorders.

Department of Veterans Affairs, about six out of every 100 people will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. Certain aspects of the traumatic event and some biological factors (such as genes) may make some people more likely to develop PTSD. The NIMH Strategic Plan for Research is a broad roadmap for the Institute’s research priorities over the next five years. Learn more about NIMH’s commitment to accelerating the pace of scientific progress and transforming mental health care. In summary, the implications of automated e-CBT for future studies are vast, encompassing the exploration of new therapeutic mechanisms, the enhancement of patient engagement, and the refinement of therapy management. Continued research is essential to fully understand the potential of automated e-CBT and to address the challenges that accompany its implementation in diverse clinical settings.

The development of a clinician-administered PTSD scale

Details about upcoming events—including meetings, conferences, workshops, lectures, webinars, and chats—sponsored by NIMH. NIMH statistics pages include statistics on the prevalence, treatment, cbt interventions for substance abuse and costs of mental illness for the population of the United States. It is essential to discuss the current understanding of various mechanisms behind the effectiveness of CBT in PTSD.

Does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Help With PTSD?

Lampe et al. (2014) only included results of 58% of the original sample due to dropout, with only 43 of 81 participants’ data classed as ‘therapy completers’ at follow‐up. Britvić et al. (2006) reported a final data set that included only 42 of the original sample of 59 war veterans suffering from PTSD. That similar dropout rates were reported for PDT and CBT challenges high dropout as a justifiable reason for practitioners failing to select CBT as a first‐line treatment for PTSD.

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Those who are suffering from trauma may be asked to do homework as a part of their recovery, too. Reinforcing and strengthening skills between each session can help speed up the therapy process and result in a more effective treatment plan. Initial sessions are typically focused on psychoeducation that helps the patient learn about PTSD and what they can expect from treatment. In subsequent sessions, the patient will work with their therapist to identify and explore the ways that trauma may have altered the patient’s thoughts and beliefs, affecting both the way they feel and how they act. Specifically, the therapist will help the patient pick out thoughts that create barriers to recovery. The patient will learn a set of strategies to challenge and modify thoughts that are inaccurate and/or unhelpful and will practice these strategies with the therapist and on their own with worksheets and exercises.

• Although a study by Peynenburg et al. (2020) indicated that 15% of e-CBT users reported a need for additional face-to-face support, the specific statistic is not directly corroborated by more recent data.
• Automated messaging features in e-CBT, such as reminders to “log in to read new messages,” help establish and maintain therapeutic engagement (Danaher et al., 2019; Andersson, 2024).
• It’s increasingly common for someone to be diagnosed with a condition such as ADHD or autism as an adult.

The landscape of psychological treatment has been fundamentally transformed by the widespread adoption of electronic technologies, such as computers, the internet, and mobile devices (e.g., smartphones and mobile applications) (Badawy et al., 2018). These technologies have expanded the reach and methods of psychological interventions, encompassing a broad range of applications, including self-help internet websites, computer-administered therapy, and virtual reality (Andersson et al., 2019; Badawy et al., 2019). Any stressor can result in a diagnosis of adjustment disorder and it is an appropriate diagnosis for a stressor and a symptom pattern that does not meet the criteria for PTSD. Notably, issues with anger management and hypervigilance can strain both personal and professional relationships.

• The current review suggests that CBT is an effective treatment for both acute and chronic PTSD, with both short-term and long-term benefit, following a range of traumatic experiences.
• Research materials were gathered through secondary data collection, including journals, published psychotherapy textbooks, and other relevant data sources.
• There is a need for more studies in developing countries following disasters that affect huge populations.
• A comprehensive systematic search used the multidisciplinary and subject‐specific bibliographic databases Web of Science, Psychinfo, and Science Direct to identify papers reporting studies examining the effectiveness of psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural therapies in the treatment of PTSD.
• Based on this evidence, concerns regarding higher risk of dropout should not be used to justify selecting PDT over CBT for the treatment of PTSD.

An inventory for measuring depression

Karyotaki et al. (2021) identified that adherence to automated programs could be improved through the incorporation of personalized feedback and automated reminders, which have been shown to increase engagement and reduce dropout rates. The addition of the term to the DSM-III was greatly influenced by the experiences and conditions of U.S. military veterans of the Vietnam War.[299] In fact, much of the available published research regarding PTSD is based on studies done on veterans of the war in Vietnam. If this information seems overwhelming, just know that there is help available for trauma survivors. An experienced CBT therapist can guide you or your loved one to take the first steps toward healing trauma, but the most important thing to remember is that you aren’t alone, even though it can feel that way sometimes. Struggling with unresolved trauma has an impact on your whole life, as well as your sense of self, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Dropout rates

Hasral studies described elevated concentrations of the thyroid hormone triiodothyronine in PTSD.[124] This kind of type 2 allostatic adaptation may contribute to increased sensitivity to catecholamines and other stress mediators. The overarching idea of CBT is that if one of these areas is improved, there will also be beneficial changes to the whole person. For instance, if our thought process is changed for the better, it impacts both our emotions and our behaviors.

Who gets PTSD?

Recent findings underscore the importance of fully automated iCBT programs, such as Thrive, which have shown potential in addressing suicidal thinking and reducing depression symptoms. A study indicated that participants using Thrive experienced a 38.7% reduction in suicidal thinking compared to a waitlist control group. Significant differences in depression symptom slopes were also noted, favoring the Thrive program. This aligns with previous research suggesting that automated iCBT may effectively reduce depression symptoms among users, particularly in specific populations like rural US adults. The effectiveness of these programs depends partly on user engagement; adherence to lesson completion was related to lower depression and anxiety scores (e.g., PHQ-9 and GAD-7).