A comparison of exposure therapy, stress inoculation training, and their combination for reducing posttraumatic stress disorder in female assault victims

Ninety-six female assault victims with chronic posttraumatic stress disorde r (PTSD) were randomly assigned to 4 treatment conditions: prolonged exposu re (PE), stress inoculation training (SIT), combined treatment (PE-SIT). or wait-list control (WL). Treatment consisted of 9 twice-weekly. individual sessions, Independent evaluations were conducted at pretreatment; posttreat ment: and 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. All 3 active treatments reduced severity of PTSD and depression compared with WL but did not differ signifi cantly from each other, and these gains were maintained throughout the foll ow-up period. However, in the intent-to-treat sample. PE was superior to SI T and PE-SIT on posttreatment anxiety and global social adjustment at follo w-up and had larger effect sizes on PTSD severity, depression, and anxiety. SIT and PE-SIT did not differ significantly from each other on any outcome measure.