Yehuda and Hoge (2016) build on the review of Steenkamp, Litz, Hoge, and Marmar (2015) (“Psychotherapy for Military-Related PTSD: A Review of Randomized Clinical Trials”) by encouraging more sophisticated thinking about the treatment needs of combat veterans with PTSD. Responding to the current emphasis on Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Processing Therapy (time-limited, trauma-focused therapies) in VA settings, the authors note that many combat veterans have needs and goals beyond symptom reduction. They may be experiencing grief and other spiritual concerns, struggling with moral injury or the establishment of a new sense of purpose and identity post-deployment, and feeling alienated from family and society. Further, many combat veterans have a complicated relationship with PTSD symptoms, including those that began as survival skills (e.g., hypervigilance and emotional numbing) and those that remind them of deceased comrades (e.g., intrusive memories and survivor guilt). They may, therefore, be hesitant to alter these experiences. Yehuda and Hoge advocate for an expanded and more nuanced approach to treating combat veterans that takes into account individual needs and a wide range of recovery goals.
To learn more, visit: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/294917382_The_Meaning_of_Evidence-Based_Treatments_for_Veterans_With_Posttraumatic_Stress_Disorder
Reference:
Yehuda, R., & Hoge, C.W. (2016). The Meaning of Evidence-Based Treatments for Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
JAMA Psychiatry,73(5):433-4.
Contributor:
Charity Tabol, Ph.D., HSPP
VA Illiana Healthcare System
Private Practice, West Lafayette
"PsychBytes” is a weekly educational resource from the Indiana Psychological Association (IPA) provided for psychologists, their colleagues and their patients.
