Cognitive behavioral therapy of violence-related posttraumatic stress disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) represents the most common psychiatric condition following exposure to violence. Although an increasing number of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) studies point to efficacy of this appro ach in ameliorating PTSD following violence, the methodological rigor of ma ny studies has not been optimal. Further, a significant proportion of traum atized individuals does not benefit from CBT. This article reviews CBT outc ome studies, discusses the methodological limitations of CBT studies for PT SD, and offers suggestions for future research. This review highlights the need for more systematic studies of components of CBT with a range of traum a populations to delineate the parameters of effective CBT for individuals with PTSD. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.