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post-traumatic stress disorder

Evidence Update for Clinicians: Treatment Options for People with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

A recent update of a systematic review, supported by PCORI through a research partnership with AHRQ, informs clinicians on psychological and pharmacological treatments for PTSD in adults. The review reports on 207 articles from 193 studies published before 2018, updating a 2013 review.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects about 6% of US adults. It is more common in groups including women, younger people, and those who did not complete high school or who have lower incomes. PTSD can affect military personnel serving in combat, but it may also develop after a person experiences or witnesses intimate partner violence, sexual violence, physical abuse or assault, a motor vehicle crash, natural disaster, violent crime, or other traumatic event.

The Findings

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can improve PTSD symptoms to the point where the PTSD diagnosis is no longer substantiated. Although the harms of CBT were not well studied, they are likely minimal.

Keywords 
post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD CBT cognitive behavior therapy

Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Author/s: 
Ostacher, Michael J., Cifu, Adam S.

Summary of the Clinical Problem

Individuals who have been personally or indirectly exposed to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence have a wide range of psychological responses, from transient, nondebilitating reactions to symptoms that meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) criteria for acute stress disorder or PTSD. Between 6% and 7% of adults in the US general population are estimated to experience PTSD during their lifetime. The prevalence is higher in women than in men. In 2016, 10.6% of veterans receiving care in the Veterans Health Administration had a diagnosis of PTSD. Among veterans who served in Iraq and/or Afghanistan, 26.7% of those seeking care in the Veterans Health Administration receive a PTSD diagnosis.

Keywords 
post-traumatic stress disorder veterans psychotherapy

The Primary Care PTSD Screen (PC-PTSD)

Author/s: 
Prins, Annabel, Bovin, Michelle J., Smolenski, Derek J., Marx, Brian P., Kimmerling, Rachel, Jenkins-Guarnieri, Michael A., Kaloupek, Danny G.

BACKGROUND

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is associated with increased health care utilization, medical morbidity, and tobacco and alcohol use. Consequently, screening for PTSD has become increasingly common in primary care clinics, especially in Veteran healthcare settings where trauma exposure among patients is common.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to revise the Primary Care PTSD screen (PC-PTSD) to reflect the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria for PTSD (PC-PTSD-5) and to examine both the diagnostic accuracy and the patient acceptability of the revised measure.

DESIGN

We compared the PC-PTSD-5 results with those from a brief psychiatric interview for PTSD. Participants also rated screening preferences and acceptability of the PC-PTSD-5.

PARTICIPANTS

A convenience sample of 398 Veterans participated in the study (response rate = 41 %). Most of the participants were male, in their 60s, and the majority identified as non-Hispanic White.

MEASURES

The PC-PTSD-5 was used as the screening measure, a modified version of the PTSD module of the MINI-International Neuropsychiatric Interview was used to diagnose DSM-5 PTSD, and five brief survey items were used to assess acceptability and preferences.

KEY RESULTS

The PC-PTSD-5 demonstrated excellent diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.941; 95 % C.I.: 0.912– 0.969). Whereas a cut score of 3 maximized sensitivity (κ[1]) = 0.93; SE = .041; 95 % C.I.: 0.849–1.00), a cut score of 4 maximized efficiency (κ[0.5] = 0.63; SE = 0.052; 95 % C.I.: 0.527–0.731), and a cut score of 5 maximized specificity (κ[0] = 0.70; SE = 0.077; 95 % C.I.: 0.550–0.853). Patients found the screen acceptable and indicated a preference for administration by their primary care providers as opposed to by other providers or via self-report.

CONCLUSIONS

The PC-PTSD-5 demonstrated strong preliminary results for diagnostic accuracy, and was broadly acceptable to patients.

Keywords 
PTSD post-traumatic stress disorder DSM
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