Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders, with an estimated lifetime prevalence of 7.8%. Numerous psychotherapeutic and pharmacotherapeutic treatment options exist for patients with PTSD. This review summarizes the various psychotherapies and pharmacotherapies that are widely studied and commonly used in the treatment of PTSD. This review also includes discussion of less common, less studied therapies that are currently being studied as potential candidates for PTSD treatment.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Akiki TJ, Abdallah CG. Are there effective psychopharmacologic treatments for PTSD? J Clin Psychiatry. 2018;80(3) https://doi.org/10.4088/jcp.18ac12473.
Asnis GM, et al. SSRIs versus non-SSRIs in post-traumatic stress disorder. Drugs. 2004;64(4):383–404. https://doi.org/10.2165/00003495-200464040-00004.
Berenz EC, et al. Prolonged exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder among individuals in a residential substance use treatment program: a case series. Prof Psychol Res Pract. 2012;43(2):154–61. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026138.
Berger W, et al. Pharmacologic alternatives to antidepressants in posttraumatic stress disorder: a systematic review. Prog Neuro-Psychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2009;33(2):169–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2008.12.004.
Bisson JI, et al. Post-traumatic stress disorder. BMJ. 2015; https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h6161.
Blanco C, et al. A placebo-controlled trial of phenelzine, cognitive behavioral group therapy, and their combination for social anxiety disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010;67(3):286. https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.11.
Cahill SP, et al. Does EMDR work? And if so, why? J Anxiety Disord. 1999;13(1–2):5–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0887-6185(98)00039-5.
Connor KM, Davidson J Rt. The role of serotonin in posttraumatic stress disorder: neurobiology and pharmacotherapy. CNS Spectr. 1998;3(S2):42–51. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1092852900007318.
Davis LL, et al. Long-term pharmacotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. CNS Drugs. 2006;20(6):465–76. https://doi.org/10.2165/00023210-200620060-00003.
Duffy J, Malloy P. Efficacy of Buspirone in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder: an open trial. Ann Clin Psychiatry. 1994;6(1):33–7. https://doi.org/10.3109/10401239409148837.
Escalona R, et al. Fluvoxamine treatment in veterans with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder. Depress Anxiety. 2002;15(1):29–33. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.1082.
Foa EB, et al. Randomized trial of prolonged exposure for posttraumatic stress disorder with and without cognitive restructuring: outcome at academic and community clinics. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2005;73(5):953–64. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006x.73.5.953.
Harris B. Letting go of little Albert: disciplinary memory, history, and the uses of myth. J Hist Behav Sci. 2011;47(1):1–17. https://doi.org/10.1002/jhbs.20470.
Hoge EA, et al. Effect of acute Posttrauma propranolol on PTSD outcome and physiological responses during script-driven imagery. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2011;18(1):21–7. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-5949.2010.00227.x.
Hout M, et al. Autobiographical memories become less vivid and emotional after eye movements. Br J Clin Psychol. 2001;40(2):121–30. https://doi.org/10.1348/014466501163571.
Kasai K, et al. Evidence for acquired Pregenual anterior cingulate Gray matter loss from a twin study of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Biol Psychiatry. 2008;63(6):550–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.06.022.
Kliem S, Kroger C. Prevention of chronic PTSD with early cognitive Behavioral therapy. A meta-analysis using mixed-effects Modeling. Behav Res Ther. 2013;51(11):753–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2013.08.005.
Lancaster C, et al. Posttraumatic stress disorder: overview of evidence-based assessment and treatment. J Clin Med. 2016;5(11):105. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm5110105.
Liberzon I, SekharSripada C. The functional neuroanatomy of PTSD: a critical review. In: Progress in brain research stress hormones and post traumatic stress disorder basic studies and clinical perspectives; 2007. p. 151–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0079-6123(07)67011-3.
Londborg PD, et al. Sertraline treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. J Clin Psychiatry. 2001;62(5):325–31. https://doi.org/10.4088/jcp.v62n0503.
Miao X-R, et al. Posttraumatic stress disorder: from diagnosis to prevention. Mil Med Res. 2018;5(1) https://doi.org/10.1186/s40779-018-0179-0.
Powers MB, et al. A meta-analytic review of prolonged exposure for posttraumatic stress disorder. Clin Psychol Rev. 2010;30(6):635–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.04.007.
Raskind MA, et al. A trial of Prazosin for combat trauma PTSD with nightmares in active-duty soldiers returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. Am J Psychiatr. 2013;170(9):1003–10. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2013.12081133.
Rauch SAM, et al. Prolonged exposure for PTSD in a veterans health administration PTSD clinic. J Trauma Stress. 2009;22(1):60–4. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.20380.
Resick PA, Monson CM, Chard KM. Cognitive processing therapy: veteran/military version. Washington, DC: Department of Veterans’ Affairs; 2007.
Rothbaum BO. Critical parameters ford-Cycloserine enhancement of cognitive-Behaviorial therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Am J Psychiatr. 2008;165(3):293–6. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.07121871.
Rothbaum BO, et al. Augmentation of sertraline with prolonged exposure in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. J Trauma Stress. 2006;19(5):625–38. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.20170.
Schneier FR, et al. Combined prolonged exposure therapy and paroxetine for PTSD related to the world trade Center attack: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Psychiatr. 2012;169(1):80–8. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.11020321.
Seedat S, et al. An open trial of citalopram in adolescents with post-traumatic stress disorder. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2001;16(1):21–5. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004850-200101000-00002.
Stein DJ, et al. Pharmacotherapy for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006; https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd002795.pub2.
Sullivan G, Neria Y. Pharmacotherapy in post-traumatic stress disorder: evidence from randomized controlled trials. Curr Opin Investig Drugs. 2009;
Vanelzakker MB, et al. From Pavlov to PTSD: the extinction of conditioned fear in rodents, humans, and anxiety disorders. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2014;113:3–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2013.11.014.
Wilson G, et al. The use of Eye-Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in treating post-traumatic stress disorder—a systematic narrative review. Front Psychol. 2018;9:6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00923.
Yehuda R, Ledoux J. Response variation following trauma: a translational neuroscience approach to understanding PTSD. Neuron. 2007;56(1):19–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2007.09.006.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Hassan, S. (2021). Psychopharmacotherapy of PTSD. In: Riederer, P., Laux, G., Nagatsu, T., Le, W., Riederer, C. (eds) NeuroPsychopharmacotherapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56015-1_395-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56015-1_395-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-56015-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-56015-1
eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine