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VA Agrees with Key Points about PTSD
Treatment |
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In New Institute of Medicine Report
http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel
WASHINGTON (October 18, 2007) - The Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA) today agreed with a new
Institute of Medicine (IOM) report finding
exposure-based therapies for the treatment of
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to be
effective.
The report released today by the IOM Committee
on Treatment of PTSD concluded among its key
findings that exposure-based therapies such as
prolonged exposure therapy and cognitive
processing therapy have proven to be effective
treatments for PTSD, while more research is
needed on pharmacotherapy to determine its
effectiveness.
"VA is pleased to see IOM agrees with us that
exposure-based therapies are effective
treatments for PTSD," said Dr. Antonette Zeiss,
VA's Deputy Chief of Mental Health Services. "VA
has been making the therapies readily available,
even before the IOM report was released."
Prolonged exposure therapy utilizes techniques
to promote confrontation with feared objects,
situations, memories and images. It involves use
of psychoeducation, breathing retraining,
prolonged exposure to the memory of the trauma
through imaginary reliving, and repeated
exposure to safe situations being avoided
because of traumatic fear.
Cognitive process therapy involves
psychoeducation; written exposure in which
patients write about the impact of trauma on
themselves and others and interpret traumatic
events; challenging patient's interpretations of
traumatic events and cognitive restructuring of
their beliefs that have been disrupted by
traumatic events.
Dr. Zeiss said VA began developing training
about a year ago for its mental health
professionals in the use of exposure-based
therapies, starting with cognitive processing
therapy and now including prolonged exposure
therapy.
In fact, VA's Dr. Patricia Resick, head of the
Women's Division of the National Center for PTSD
in Boston, is a leading researcher in cognitive
processing therapy. And the leading researcher
in prolonged exposure therapy is Dr. Edna Foa,
who helps train VA mental health professionals.
Dr. Zeiss said VA also concurs with other key
conclusions of the report that more research is
needed about pharmacotherapy as an effective
treatment. It is important to note, Dr. Zeiss
said, the IOM conclusion states only more
research is needed, not that medications have
been found to be ineffective.
VA provides treatment for PTSD through cognitive
and exposure-based therapies, with the use of
drugs approved by the Food and Drug
Administration.
VA is a recognized international leader in
treatment and research for PTSD. In 1989, the
Department created the National Center for PTSD,
which promotes research, trains health care
professionals and serves as an information
resource for researchers and clinicians around
the world. |
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