Efficacy of structured approach therapy in reducing PTSD in returning veterans: A
randomized clinical trial.
Author(s): Sautter FJ(1), Glynn SM(2), Cretu JB(3), Senturk D(4), Vaught AS(5).
Affiliation(s): Author information:
(1)Family Mental Health Program, Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System.
(2)VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. (3)Department of Psychiatry and
Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University School of Medicine. (4)Department of
Biostatistics, University of California-Los Angeles. (5)Southeast Louisiana
Veterans Health Care System.
Publication date & source: 2015, Psychol Serv. , 12(3):199-212
The U.S. military deployed in support to Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) show high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) and relationship, partner, and parenting distress. Given the pervasive
effect of combat-related PTSD on returning veterans and its effect on their loved
ones, the investigators have developed a couples-based treatment, structured
approach therapy (SAT), to reduce PTSD while simultaneously decreasing
relationship and partner distress. This study presents treatment outcome data
measuring PTSD and relationship outcomes from a randomized clinical trial (RCT)
comparing SAT, a manualized 12-session novel couples-based PTSD treatment, to a
manualized 12-session couples-based educational intervention (PTSD Family
Education [PFE]). Data were collected from 57 returning veterans meeting
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fourth edition, text
revision; DSM-IV-TR) criteria for PTSD and their cohabiting partners; data
collection was scheduled for pretreatment, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up.
Findings from an intent-to-treat analysis revealed that veterans receiving SAT
showed significantly greater reductions in self-rated (PTSD Checklist; p < .0006)
and Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS)-rated PTSD (p < .0001) through the
3-month follow-up compared with veterans receiving PFE; 15 of 29 (52%) veterans
receiving SAT and 2 of 28 (7%) receiving PFE no longer met DSM-IV-TR criteria for
PTSD. Furthermore, SAT was associated with significant improvements in veteran
relationship adjustment, attachment avoidance, and state anxiety. Partners showed
significant reductions in attachment anxiety. This couples-based treatment for
combat-related PTSD appears to have a strong therapeutic effect on combat-related
PTSD in recently returned veterans. (PsycINFO Database Record
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