Exposure Therapy For Veterans With PTSD And Panic Attacks

Not Applicable

Completed

Interventions: Behavioral: Cognitive Processing Therapy
Behavioral: Multiple Channel Exposure Therapy - Veterans

Brief Summary: To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of Multiple Channel Exposure Therapy-Veterans (MCET-V) as a treatment for returning service members with comorbid PTSD and panic disorder (PD). This study will examine the effectiveness of MCET-V by comparing it to Cognitive Processing Therapy, a standard PTSD treatment.

Detailed Description: With the increasing number of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) Veterans returning from war-zone areas, many will experience anxiety disorders such as PTSD and comorbid problems. Currently, about one in every six OIF/OEF Veterans experiences PTSD and co-occurring PD. Although effective treatments exist for treating one or the other, we do not yet have treatments that can simultaneously target PTSD and PD. Thus, recent attention has focused on the development of multi-component treatments that simultaneously address PTSD and PD. This study is the first systematic investigation of a time-limited, multi-component cognitive-behavioral treatment for Veterans with specific comorbid anxiety problems. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the multi-component cognitive-behavioral treatment in comparison to standard PTSD treatment in military personnel returning from active duty.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria

being a Veteran of any era;
being enrolled in the TRP at the MEDVAMC, with a current diagnosis of PTSD and PD;
being stable on psychotropic medication for 4 weeks before study participation; and
being at least 18 years of age.

Exclusion Criteria

active substance dependence, or bipolar or psychotic disorders;
severe depression and [active suicidal ideation and intent] (based on ADIS-IV & BDI-II);
cognitive impairment as indicated by the SLUMS; and
Veterans currently receiving psychosocial treatment specifically targeting PTSD or panic symptoms.

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
CPT	Cognitive Processing Therapy	Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a 12-session cognitive-behavioral treatment for persons with PTSD. It is a gold-standard cognitive behavioral intervention designed to target PTSD symptoms.
MCET-V	Multiple Channel Exposure Therapy - Veterans	Multiple Channel Exposure Therapy -Veterans (MCET-V) is a 12-session cognitive-behavioral treatment for persons with comorbid PTSD and panic attacks. It is an integrated treatment designed to target panic and PTSD symptoms simultaneously.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in PDSS Scores Over Time for MCET-V and CPT Groups	Baseline, 1-week post, and 3-month follow-up	The Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) is a clinician-rated assessment of the presence and severity of panic symptoms. Scores range from 0 - 28, with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity.
Change in PTSD Symptoms (CAPS) Between MCET-V and CPT Groups	Baseline, 1-week post-treatment and 3-month follow-up	The CAPS is a clinician-administered assessment of the presence and severity of PTSD symptoms. Scores range from 0 - 136, with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity.

Secondary Outcome Measures