Couple Therapy for PTSD

We are pleased to announced that there is now a gender inclusive workbook and that Dr. Monson and Dr. Fredman are pleased to announce they are working on the revision.

The intimate partners of veterans living with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often have few opportunities to articulate in their own words how the disorder affects them and their families. Besides relationship challenges and stress associated with assuming a caregiver role, partners may endure their own psychological distress. These occurrences may be overlooked when treating PTSD, as the focus is usually on the veteran and from the veteran’s perspective. Engaging significant others and understanding their perspective is paramount to both the veteran’s recovery and the well-being of the couple. We mailed surveys to partners of veterans with PTSD as part of a larger study that assessed PTSD-related knowledge, beliefs, treatment involvement, and quality of life. At the end of the survey was an optional free-text section inviting partners to share any other information related to their circumstances. Of all survey respondents, over half (n 

A recent qualitative study by Mansfield and colleagues (2014) examined partner perspectives on PTSD. Participants were emailed a survey and had the option of completing a free-text section asking them to share any experiences related to their partner’s PTSD. Through thematic analysis, the authors found that partners described their significant other as having poor communication, being emotionally distant, and easily angered. Additionally, despite many partners mentioning the importance of mental health services, very few of their significant others were receiving PTSD treatment. The authors discuss the implications of their findings.

See abstract below:

The intimate partners of veterans living with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often have few opportunities to articulate in their own words how the disorder affects them and their families. Besides relationship challenges and stress associated with assuming a caregiver role, partners may endure their own psychological distress. These occurrences may be overlooked when treating PTSD, as the focus is usually on the veteran and from the veteran’s perspective. Engaging significant others and understanding their perspective is paramount to both the veteran’s recovery and the well-being of the couple. We mailed surveys to partners of veterans with PTSD as part of a larger study that assessed PTSD-related knowledge, beliefs, treatment involvement, and quality of life. At the end of the survey was an optional free-text section inviting partners to share any other information related to their circumstances. Of all survey respondents, over half (n

Check out the continuing education tab for the recent posting of the JAMA article reporting on our recent randomized controlled trial results.

Cheers,

Candice

I’m so delighted to announce the birth of our new book title by Guilford, which includes the treatment manual for CBCT for PTSD.

We will be posting the slightly revised versions of the client handouts to match the manual on the website asap!

Would love to hear your feedback!

Candice

Hi all,

Just a heads up that the outcomes of our most recent trial were recently published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress. You can find a jump to the article on the Literature page.

Outcomes of our randomized controlled trial will soon be available…