Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Following Sexual Assault
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic focused on measuring Rape, Sex Offenses
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: DSM-IV criteria for PTSD at least 12 weeks after sexual assault PTSD symptoms that result from sexual assault and not from another traumatic experience Exclusion Criteria: DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia or delusional disorder Unstable bipolar disorder, depression with psychotic features, or depression severe enough to require immediate psychiatric treatment. Clients who are medicated and still meet current criteria for these disorders will be excluded. Substance dependence Continued intimate relationship with the assailant
Sites / Locations
- Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety, University of Pennsylvania
- Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR)
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Active Comparator
Active Comparator
1 Prolonged Exposure
2 Individual and group therapy
Prolonged Exposure (PE) consists of 10 weekly 90-minute treatment sessions, which may be extended up to 20 sessions, depending on client response. Treatment procedures include education about common reactions to trauma, breathing retraining, prolonged (repeated) exposure to trauma memories, repeated in vivo exposure to situations the client is avoiding due to trauma-related fear, and discussion of thoughts and feelings related to exposure exercises as well as beliefs about self and the world.
TUGT (Treatment as usual group therapy - used in Study 1), delivered in ten weekly sessions, with 5 to 7 members and two counselors per group. There is no formal, structured format for these groups; counselors are sensitive to the participants' needs and follow their lead re content covered in discussions and exercises. Supportive counseling (SC - study 2): individual therapy delivered in 10 weekly, 90 minute sessions. Therapist helps patient identify daily stresses that may or may not be related to traumatic events and discusses them in a supportive non-directive mode with a problem-solving orientation. The goal of this present-focused treatment is to provide support and to help the client to identify problems and stresses of daily living and to help her cope with these.