EMOTIONAL PROCESSING AND OUTCOME OF IMAGINAL FLOODING THERAPY IN VIETNAM VETERANS WITH CHRONIC POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER

This study examined emotional processing and outcome in 20 Vietnam vet erans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who underwent imaginal flooding therapy. Results supported the occurrence of emotion al processing, as manifest in significant activation, within-session h abituation, and partial across-session habituation of physiologic and self-reported process variables. The flooding therapy produced only mo dest overall improvement, which was statistically significant for avoi dance symptomatology measured by the Impact of Events Scale (IOES) and number of intrusions per day recorded by the subject in a log. Sympto matic improvement appeared to generalize from a treated to an untreate d experience. Heart rate activation during the first flooding session predicted a decrease in daily number of intrusive combat memories acro ss the therapy. Otherwise, there was little association between extent of emotional processing end therapeutic outcome. The results provide limited support for the notion that mobilization of psychophysiologic arousal during exposure therapy predicts improvement. Copyright (C) 19 96 by W.B. Saunders Company