Efficacy of group cognitive processing therapy in an intensive outpatient trauma program for active duty service members with posttraumatic stress disorder

Abstract: Cognitive problems are a salient concern for patients seeking behavioral health care in military treatment facilities. Given the substantial comorbidity of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it is incumbent upon military providers to collaborate effectively in the remediation of symptoms and to appreciate the efficacy of established treatment models. Cognitive symptoms may confound the efficacy of cognitive processing therapy (CPT) in a population of service members with mild TBI. This initiative is a retrospective review of group cohort case study data on active duty military patients who participated in an eight-week intensive outpatient program for PTSD as part of a performance improvement process. The goal of the performance improvement project pertained to assessing the current delivery model of group cognitive processing therapy and the likelihood of using and applying the strategies of CPT, as well as what clinical processes if any could be improved to facilitate symptom remediation. Results indicated that patients as well as clinicians benefited from feedback about the efficacy of cognitive processing therapy and the group process. Moreover, results supported the need for further interdisciplinary research and treatments that build more cognitive rehabilitation strategies into the group process to facilitate learning, rehearsal, and sustained change.

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