Effective Treatments for PTSD - Practice Guidelines from the International Society for TSS

This landmark volume brings together leading clinical scientists to offer best practice guidelines for the treatment of PTSD. Developed under the auspices of the PTSD Treatment Guidelines Task Force of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the book evaluates the efficacy of established and emerging approaches for treating adults, adolescents, and children. It blazes a trail through the rapidly accumulating body of clinical research in this area, illuminating both what is definitively known and what crucial questions remain unanswered. Most important, it provides a systematic framework to help the clinician determine which treatments to choose, and for whom.
Following introductory chapters that outline the scope of the volume and address general treatment considerations, Part I presents detailed reviews of the literature. A comprehensive array of modalities are considered: acute interventions, cognitive-behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy, EMDR, group therapy, psychodynamic therapy, inpatient treatment, psychosocial rehabilitation, hypnosis, marital and family treatment, and creative therapies. For each, conceptual foundations and core therapeutic techniques are described, data collection methods specified, and study results delineated. Also discussed are indications and contraindications of the treatment, special considerations, and areas requiring further investigation. Part II encapsulates the Task Force recommendations, including standardized ratings of the strength of the evidence for each approach. An integrative concluding chapter provides detailed criteria to assist the clinician in setting goals and selecting treatments for individual patients, managing combination treatments, and approaching complex clinical pictures and comorbidities.
Reflecting the collaborative work of experts across a range of theoretical orientations and professional backgrounds, this is an essential resource for all clinicians treating clients with PTSD. It also serves as a state-of-the-art text for researchers and clinical graduate students.
About Edna B. Foa, PhD, is Professor of Clinical Psychology in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania and Director of the Center for the Study and Treatment of Anxiety. She has published over 200 articles and book chapters as well as several books, including Treating the Trauma of Rape (coauthored with Barbara Olasov Rothbaum).
Terence M. Keane, PhD, is Professor and Vice-Chairman of Psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine. He is also Chief of Psychology and Director of the National Center for PTSD at the VA Boston Healthcare System. His several books and more than 130 scientific publications include Assessing Psychological Trauma and PTSD (coedited with John P. Wilson).
Matthew J. Friedman, MD, PhD, is Executive Director of the National Center for PTSD at the White River Junction VAMC, and Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at Dartmouth Medical School. He has published books and monographs on the neurobiological basis of stress, ethnocultural aspects of PTSD, the controversy surrounding recovered memories, and disaster mental health services.