Five Efficacious Treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: An Empirical Review

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is known to be a debilitating disorder and for some a lifelong complaint. Although there are many treatment options, determining which treatments are not only recommended but show high efficacy rates is vital for clinicians. This review examines current treatment endorsements for PTSD and identifies five treatment modalities consistently recommended in the literature as most efficacious for PTSD: prolonged exposure therapy, cognitive processing therapy, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, stress inoculation training, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy. Comparison studies of each modality, limitations, and training requirements are reviewed. Research overall shows no significant differences in rates of efficacy between treatments, with mental health counselors recommended to select the approach that best fits the client population and professional goals based on identified strengths and limitations of each therapy. Additional recommendations for future directions are discussed.