How effective is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for early intervention?
Researchers have conducted over 30 studies examining the effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in treating PTSD and several studies examining a brief, five-session treatment for Acute Stress Disorder (ASD). In general, CBT has proven very effective and produced significant reductions in PTSD symptoms. CBT treatments are often carefully scripted in treatment manuals. There are more published well-controlled studies of CBT than of any other PTSD treatment. Furthermore, the magnitude of treatment effects appears greater with CBT than with any other treatment. Bryant et al. 1 , in treating motor vehicle and industrial accident victims who met criteria for ASD, compared five sessions of nondirective supportive counseling (providing support and education and teaching problem-solving skills), with brief cognitive-behavioral treatment (trauma education, progressive muscle relaxation, imaginal exposure, cognitive restructuring, and graded in vivo exposure to avoided situations). A
