Comparing effectiveness of CPT to CPT-C among U.S. Veterans in an interdisciplinary residential PTSD/TBI treatment program.

Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is a leading cognitive-behavioral treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a front-line intervention according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs treatment guidelines. The original CPT protocol entails the creation of a written trauma account and use of cognitive therapy. Cognitive processing therapy-cognitive therapy only (CPT-C) does not involve a written account and in a previous study resulted in faster symptom improvement and fewer dropouts than standard CPT. This study sought to replicate these findings by comparing the effectiveness of CPT to CPT-C in a sample of 86 U.S. male veterans receiving treatment in a PTSD residential program for individuals with a history of traumatic brain injury. CPT and CPT-C were delivered in a combined individual and group format as part of a comprehensive, interdisciplinary treatment program. Outcomes were self- and clinician-reported PTSD and self-reported depression symptoms. Multilevel analysis revealed no significant difference for PTSD symptoms, but did show a greater decrease in depression at posttreatment (d = 0.63) for those receiving CPT. When an experiment-wise α correction was applied, this effect did not remain significant.