EFFECTIVENESS OF ANXIETY MANAGEMENT-TRAINING IN THE TREATMENT OF POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER - A PRELIMINARY-REPORT

This preliminary study investigated the effectiveness of anxiety manag ement training (AMT), a coping skills treatment similar to systematic desensitization, in comparison to implosive therapy (IT), an exposure- based treatment, for treating six Vietnam combat veterans with posttra umatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Clinician Administered PTSD Intervi ew Scale (CAPS; Blake et al. (1988), The Behaviour Therapist, 18, 187- 188) and a self-monitoring measure (Weathers et al., 1991) were used a s dependent measures. A single-subject, multiple-baseline, crossover d esign (ABC/ACB) was employed. A new statistic for such designs (Mueser et al. (1991), Behaviour Modification, 15, 134-155), based on classic al test theory, was used to assess treatment effects on intrusive war memories and avoidance of stimuli reminiscent of war. Within-subject r esults indicated that AMT and IT were similarly effective in reducing the frequency and intensity of intrusions and avoidance. This prelimin ary report therefore suggests that it may be productive to investigate multidimensional approaches (combining coping skills, exposure-based, and other approaches) to the treatment of combat-related PTSD as Foa et al. (1991), Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59, 715- 723 and Nishith et al. (1995), Behaviour Therapy, 26, 319-335 have for rape-related PTSD. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights rese rved.