Although several evidence-based trauma-focused treatments have been developed for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a high proportion of treatment completers fail to show total symptom or disorder-level remission. Trauma-focused treatments are predicated on the ability of one to emotionally engage with a trauma memory in order to process the traumatic experience and facilitate safety learning in the post-trauma ‘here and now’. Alexithymia, a difficulty in identifying, describing and tending to one’s emotions, occurs in approximately 40% of those who experience PTSD. This article investigates the role of emotional mechanisms in the effectiveness of trauma-focused treatments for PTSD, particularly prolonged exposure and trauma-focused cognitive behaviour therapy. Second, it explores how alexithymia poses challenges to emotion processing, undermining the effectiveness of trauma-focused treatments. The article concludes with a discussion of the clinical implications and possible treatment augmentation for those presenting with alexithymia and PTSD.

1. (1) To recognise the important affective mechanisms that can undermine trauma-focused CBT interventions.

2. (2) To widen the understanding and recognition of those who may be at risk of treatment non-response.

3. (3) To increase knowledge of available strategies and approaches in treating those who may have difficulties engaging with frontline exposure-based interventions.

The utilisation of massed therapy for treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is gaining strength, especially prolonged exposure. However, it is unknown whether massed prolonged exposure (MPE) is non-inferior to standard prolonged exposure (SPE) protocols in the long term. The current study aimed to assess whether MPE was non-inferior to SPE at 12 months post-treatment, and to ascertain changes in secondary measure outcomes.

A multi-site non-inferiority randomised controlled trial (RCT) compared SPE with MPE in 12 clinics. The primary outcome was PTSD symptom severity (CAPS-5) at 12 months post-treatment commencement. Secondary outcome measures included symptoms of depression, anxiety, anger, disability, and quality of life at 12 weeks and 12 months post-treatment commencement. Outcome assessors were blinded to treatment allocation. The intention-to-treat sample included 138 Australian military members and veterans and data were analysed for 134 participants (SPE = 71, MPE = 63).

Reductions in PTSD severity were maintained at 12 months and MPE remained non-inferior to SPE. Both treatment groups experienced a reduction in depression, anxiety, anger, and improvements in quality of life at 12 weeks and 12 months post-treatment commencement. Treatment effects for self-reported disability in the SPE group at 12 weeks were not maintained, with neither group registering significant effects at 12 months.

The emergence of massed protocols for PTSD is an important advancement. The current study provides RCT evidence for the longevity of MPE treatment gains at 12 months post-treatment commencement and demonstrated non-inferiority to SPE. Promisingly, both treatments also significantly reduced the severity of comorbid symptoms commonly occurring alongside PTSD.

A short, effective therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) could decrease barriers to implementation and uptake, reduce dropout, and ameliorate distressing symptoms in military personnel and veterans. This non-inferiority RCT evaluated the efficacy of 2-week massed prolonged exposure (MPE) therapy compared to standard 10-week prolonged exposure (SPE), the current gold standard treatment, in reducing PTSD severity in both active serving and veterans in a real-world health service system.

This single-blinded multi-site non-inferiority RCT took place in 12 health clinics across Australia. The primary outcome was PTSD symptom severity measured by the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) at 12 weeks. 138 military personnel and veterans with PTSD were randomised. 71 participants were allocated to SPE, with 63 allocated to MPE.

The intention-to-treat sample included 138 participants, data were analysed for 134 participants (88.1% male, M = 46 years). The difference between the mean MPE and SPE group PTSD scores from baseline to 12 weeks-post therapy was 0.94 [95% confidence interval (CI) −4.19 to +6.07]. The upper endpoint of the 95% CI was below +7, indicating MPE was non-inferior to SPE. Significant rates of loss of PTSD diagnosis were found for both groups (MPE 53.8%, SPE 54.1%). Dropout rates were 4.8% (MPE) and 16.9% (SPE).

MPE was non-inferior to SPE in significantly reducing symptoms of PTSD. Significant reductions in symptom severity, low dropout rates, and loss of diagnosis indicate MPE is a feasible, accessible, and effective treatment. Findings demonstrate novel methods to deliver gold-standard treatments for PTSD should be routinely considered.

While evidence-based psychotherapy (EBP) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a first-line treatment, its real-world effectiveness is unknown. We compared cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and prolonged exposure (PE) each to an individual psychotherapy comparator group, and CPT to PE in a large national healthcare system.

We utilized effectiveness and comparative effectiveness emulated trials using retrospective cohort data from electronic medical records. Participants were veterans with PTSD initiating mental healthcare (N = 265 566). The primary outcome was PTSD symptoms measured by the PTSD Checklist (PCL) at baseline and 24-week follow-up. Emulated trials were comprised of ‘person-trials,’ representing 112 discrete 24-week periods of care (10/07–6/17) for each patient. Treatment group comparisons were made with generalized linear models, utilizing propensity score matching and inverse probability weights to account for confounding, selection, and non-adherence bias.

There were 636 CPT person-trials matched to 636 non-EBP person-trials. Completing ⩾8 CPT sessions was associated with a 6.4-point greater improvement on the PCL (95% CI 3.1–10.0). There were 272 PE person-trials matched to 272 non-EBP person-trials. Completing ⩾8 PE sessions was associated with a 9.7-point greater improvement on the PCL (95% CI 5.4–13.8). There were 232 PE person-trials matched to 232 CPT person-trials. Those completing ⩾8 PE sessions had slightly greater, but not statistically significant, improvement on the PCL (8.3-points; 95% CI 5.9–10.6) than those completing ⩾8 CPT sessions (7.0-points; 95% CI 5.5–8.5).

PTSD symptom improvement was similar and modest for both EBPs. Although EBPs are helpful, research to further improve PTSD care is critical.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent mental health condition that is often associated with psychiatric comorbidities and changes in quality of life. Prolonged exposure therapy (PE) is considered the gold standard psychological treatment for PTSD, but treatment resistance and relapse rates are high. Trial-based cognitive therapy (TBCT) is an effective treatment for depression and social anxiety disorder, and its structure seems particularly promising for PTSD. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy of TBCT compared to PE in patients with PTSD.

Ninety-five patients (77.6% females) who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision, criteria for PTSD were randomly assigned to receive either TBCT (n = 44) or PE (n = 51). Patients were evaluated before and after treatment, and at follow-up 3 months after treatment. The primary outcome was improvement in PTSD symptoms as assessed by the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS). Secondary outcomes were depression, anxiety, and dysfunctional attitudes assessed by the Beck Depression/Anxiety Inventories and Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale, as well as the dropout rate.

A significant reduction in DTS scores was observed in both arms, but no significant difference between treatments. Regarding the secondary outcomes, we found significant differences in depressive symptoms in favor of TBCT, and the dropout rate was lower in the TBCT group than the PE group.

Our preliminary results suggest that TBCT may be an effective alternative for treating PTSD. Further research is needed to better understand its role and the mechanisms of change in the treatment of this disorder.